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Text page from 'Illustrations to Tennyson's Idylls of the King and Other Poems', vol. 1

Photograph
1875 (printed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

In 1874, Julia Margaret Cameron's neighbor, and renowned poet, Alfred Tennyson suggested that Cameron create some illustrations for a new volume of his series of poems on Arthurian legends, "Idylls of the King." In the end, only three images were used, as woodcuts, but the full-size prints were later published in two volumes and were accompanied by excerpts from Tennyson's text and his signature. This is a page of text from volume one.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Text page from 'Illustrations to Tennyson's Idylls of the King and Other Poems', vol. 1 (generic title)
  • Idylls of the King, and other poems, vol. 1 (series title)
Materials and techniques
Ink on paper
Brief description
Text page from 'Illustrations to Tennyson's Idylls of the King and Other Poems', vol. 1, 1875, illustrated with photographs by Julia Margaret Cameron
Physical description
Printed text page in book of poems with photographic illustrations.
Dimensions
  • Book cover height: 44.9cm
  • Book cover width: 39cm
  • Page height: 43cm
  • Page width: 33cm
Marks and inscriptions
'TO MRS. CAMERON. / Lo! Modern Beauty lends her lips and eyes / To tell an Ancient Story! Thou hast brought / Into thy picture all our fancy sought / In that old time, with sikillful art and wise. / The Sun obeys thy gestures, and allows / Thy guiding hand, whene'er thou hast a mind / To turn his passive light upon mankind, / And set his seal and thine on chosen brows / Thou lov'st all loveliness! and many a face / Is press'd and summon'd from the breezy shores / On thine immortal charts to take its place / While, near at hand the jealous ocean roars / His noblest Tritons would thy subjects be, / And all his fairest Nereids sit to thee. / CHARLES TURNER'
Credit line
Gift of Miss M. Ffytche, 1927
Object history
Originally part of a bound folio volume containing 11 photographs by Cameron and 11 pages of verse text by Tennyson and 3 other text pages (two photographs are missing, the frontispiece image of Tennyson and the last image, 'The Passing of Arthur'). Volume 1 of two albums of illustrations to Tennyson's 'Idylls of the King and other Poems' published by Henry S. King & Co., 1874-75). Each photograph is mounted on bluish mounts with gilt borders.
Associations
Literary reference'Illustrations to Tennyson's Idylls of the King, and other poems', vol. 1, by Julia Margaret Cameron. London: Henry S. King & Co., 1875.
Summary
In 1874, Julia Margaret Cameron's neighbor, and renowned poet, Alfred Tennyson suggested that Cameron create some illustrations for a new volume of his series of poems on Arthurian legends, "Idylls of the King." In the end, only three images were used, as woodcuts, but the full-size prints were later published in two volumes and were accompanied by excerpts from Tennyson's text and his signature. This is a page of text from volume one.
Associated objects
Collection
Accession number
81:3-1970

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Record createdMay 8, 2014
Record URL
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