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Beautiful things
A veritable treasure trove of rare and lovely materials — from volumes of photographs to books that represent the quintessence of
literary and printing history — lives in Colgate’s Special Collections and Archives. Many offer visual gems that delight the eye and
nurture the soul. Students who visit for research assignments often ask the same two questions: how much the collection is worth
(it’s nearly impossible to answer that), and how Colgate came to possess the materials. Although the origins of some are a mystery,
many were transferred from Case Library’s main collection, some were purchased to serve the archive’s educational mission, and
others, given to Colgate, have an interesting provenance or intriguing story to tell. — Rebecca Costello
Green-crowned brilliant (Heliodoxa jacula), Part XVI. Sept. 1, 1858 (left)
Elicia’s Golden Tail (Chrysuronia eliciæ), Part XVI. Sept. 1, 1858 (right)
Nineteenth-century naturalist John Gould’s 25-volume A Monograph of the
Trochilidæ, or Humming Birds (1849–1861), depicts 418 species from around
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the globe. Gould and his studio used gold leaf, transparent oil colors, watercolors,
lacquers, and gum Arabic to beautifully capture the iridescent quality of the
birds. Colgate has the complete set of what is considered Gould’s masterpiece,
produced from hand-colored stone lithographs.
Mission San Carlos de Borromeo, 1926. Spanish Mission California, a portfolio
of etchings “briefly described in the order of their founding” by L.N. Scammon, is
a fine example of artisanal bookmaking by a fine arts press; in this case, Grabhorn
Press of San Francisco.
Red Lily (Lilium montanum),
# 166, Plate II. From the
limited edition lithograph set
North American Wildflowers,
Vol. 1, 1925, by Mary Vaux
Walcott (published by the
Smithsonian Institution).
Walcott made her watercolor
paintings of wildflowers
while accompanying
her husband, Charles,
who was secretary of
the Smithsonian, on his
business travels. This set
was acquired by James C.
Colgate, Class of 1884, and
his wife, Hope, discerning
book collectors who donated
many amazing items to the
university.
Grey Fox, Canis (vulpes)
virginianus, Plate XXI,
1843. From Colgate’s twovolume set of J.J. Audubon’s
enormous The Viviparous
Quadrupeds of North
America, a supreme example
of color lithography that
helped foster Americans’
appreciation of nature.
Printed and colored by
J.T. Bowen, Philadelphia.
Believed to be a gift of the
Colgate family.
News and views for the Colgate community
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La Beale Isoud at Joyous Gard From
‘Le Morte D’Arthur’ (right)
A Catalogue Cover (bottom left)
These two rather tame but lovely
images come from The Later
Work of Aubrey Beardsley (1901),
reproductions of art by the
controversial English Art Nouveau
artist and printmaker known more
for his tendency to depict macabre or
erotic scenes in black and white.
Illustration from The Girl With the Golden Eyes. This 1928 fine-print
edition of Honore de Balzac’s novella, with illustrations by Donald Denton
(Peacock Press, Chicago, 1928), was a gift of Norman H. Strouse H’58 to the
Thomas M. Iiams Collection of Books about Books. A librarian at Colgate
from 1939 to 1959, Iiams led the $2 million drive to build Case Library and
was an authority on methods of preserving rare books and manuscripts.
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Front and back covers, Wine, Women, and Song (above). Featuring medieval
Latin students’ songs and an essay by English poet and literary critic John
Addington Symonds, this book is an 1884 limited edition of only 50 copies,
printed by Chatto & Windus. And yet, the text is basically inconsequential. Its
significance lies in its cover, embossed with gold and precious stones, which
was crafted by the London-based bookbinder Sangorski & Sutcliffe, famous
for making books to be sold as luxury products. The records are unclear, but
likely a gift of the Colgate family.
“In a Piegan Lodge,” Plate 188, 1910 (right). The university has a full set of
photographer Edward S. Curtis’s The North American Indian, photogravures
printed by John Andrew & Son (published between 1907 and 1930). Curtis’s
project to portray the traditional ways of life of tribes throughout the
continent became one of the most significant, and controversial, representations of traditional American Indian culture ever produced. Extremely
expensive at the time, and offered by subscription only, merely 220 sets were
sold. Colgate’s full set, numbered 132 out of only 500 made, was a gift of Hope
(Mrs. James C.) Colgate.
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The three books from
which the illustrations on
this page were selected
are prime examples of
artisinal bookmaking.
“The Hare & The Tortoise”
and facing title page
(top). Notable British
artist Arthur Rackham
was known for his highly
detailed and fanciful
drawings for many classics
of children’s literature.
Colgate’s copy of this
limited edition of Aesop’s
Fables (Heinemann,
Doubleday, 1912) is
signed by Rackham and
marked #1386 of 1450.
It was given to Colgate
by Charlotte Stillman in
memory of her father,
Thomas E. Stillman, Class
of 1859, along with a large
collection of books with
fine bindings.
Stanza V from the book
So Here Then Is the Last
Ride (left). This edition of
Robert Browning’s poetry
was published in 1900 by
the Roycroft Shop during
the renaissance of fine
printing that was part of the
Arts and Crafts Movement.
It features illustrations by
Elbert Hubbard (founder
of the Roycroft artisan
community in East Aurora,
N.Y.) that were handilluminated by Harriet
Robarge. An inscription
indicates Colgate’s copy is
#6 of only 50 printed. Gift of
librarian Thomas Iiams, who
left his beloved collection of
Roycroft books to Colgate.
Illustration from The Tale
of Lohengrin, Knight of the
Swan (right). Written by Irish
literary figure T.W. Rolleston
“after the drama of Richard
Wagner,” this fine-print book
(T.Y. Crowell Co., 1914) was
presented by Hungarian-born
illustrator, muralist, and
painter Willy Pogany. Gift of
Charlotte Stillman.
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Opening page,“The Knight’s
Tale.” Published by William
Morris’s Kelmscott Press, the
1896 edition of The Works
of Geoffrey Chaucer with
exquisite woodcut illustrations
was immediately hailed as
a masterpiece of the art of
printing and typesetting — and
is still widely considered one
of the most beautiful books
ever produced. Gift of James
C. Colgate.
*Many thanks to rare books and
manuscripts librarian Francesca
Livermore and director Sarah
Keen — who undertake the
care and feeding of so many
beautiful things in Colgate’s
special collections and archives
— for sharing their knowledge
and assistance. For more
information about visiting the
archives, go to exlibris.colgate.
edu or call 315-228-6175.
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