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John Ruskin, OF QUEENS' GARDENS

About the Item

London / Edinburgh: George Allen / Ballantyne Press, 1902 8vo, 8 x 5 3/4 inches (203 x 145 mm), (4), 68, (1) pp. Printed on handmade Arnold paper with a flower and vine border on each page with red initials; publisher's device wood engraved on colophon; yapp edges. Full vellum over boards, stamped in gilt on front cover and spine, all four tan ribbon ties present and in good condition. Covers and interior in exceptionally clean and bright condition, some expected offset from decorative frames, binding tight, vellum very slightly curled, which is typical. Bookplate of Olga Casdagli pasted inside front cover. A companion piece to his "Of Kings' Treasuries" (our inventory no. 1446) this essay was delivered by the English writer, philosopher, art critic and polymath of the Victorian era John Ruskin (1819 – 1900) in 1864, this refined printing of "Of Queens' Gardens" describes an ideal model of Victorian femininity. Focusing on the role of women, it asserts their rights and duties in education, according them responsibility for the household and, by extension, for providing the human compassion that must balance a social order dominated by men. This book proved to be one of Ruskin's most popular, and was regularly awarded as a Sunday School prize.(Cook and Wedderburn 18, 19 ff.) Its reception over time has been mixed, and twentieth-century feminists have taken aim at "Of Queens' Gardens" in particular, as an attempt to "subvert the new heresy" of women's rights by confining women to the domestic sphere. Although indeed subscribing to the Victorian belief in "separate spheres" for men and women, Ruskin was however unusual in arguing for parity of esteem, a case based on his philosophy that a nation's political economy should be modeled on that of the ideal household. For both men and women, Ruskin promotes reading and proper education as the means to fulfill their ultimate purpose. A handsome production, in the style of William Morris's Kelmscott Press, with elaborate printed borders and dropcaps in red ink, which mirrors Ruskin's interest in the principles of the Arts & Crafts movement. Condition: Fine
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 20.3 in (51.57 cm)Width: 14.5 in (36.83 cm)Depth: 1.3 in (3.31 cm)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    1902
  • Condition:
    Wear consistent with age and use.
  • Seller Location:
    Middletown, NY
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: BH15451stDibs: LU8340240618202

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John Ruskin, OF QUEENS' GARDENS
Located in Middletown, NY
London / Edinburgh: George Allen / Ballantyne Press, 1902 8vo, 8 x 5 3/4 inches (203 x 145 mm), (4), 68, (1) pp. Printed on handmade Arnold paper with a flower and vine border on eac...
Category

Early 20th Century English Books

Materials

Gold Leaf

John Ruskin, OF KING'S TREASURIES
Located in Middletown, NY
Of Kings' Treasuries London / Edinburgh: George Allen / Ballantyne Press, 1902. 8vo, 8 x 5 3/4 inches (203 x 145 mm), (4), 99, (1) pp. Printed on handmade Arnold paper with a flower...
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Early 20th Century English Books

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Gold Leaf

Of Gardens; Four Books by Rene Rapin & John Evelyn the Younger
Located in Middletown, NY
RARE: John Evelyn the Younger's first book, rare first issue with title date 1672. Rapin, René (1621-1687) and Evelyn, John (the Younger 1655 -1699), translator Of Gardens; Four Boo...
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The Tunning of Elinor Rumming, a Poem by John Skelton
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Skelton, John The Tunning of Elinor Rumming, a Poem London: Printed for Isaac Dalton, and sold by W. Boreham at the Angel in Pater-Noster-Row, 1718. Second Edition. Octavo, 7 5/8 x 4 5/8 in. (194 x 117 mm). pp. [8], 31, [1]. From the title page: by Skelton Laureat. Original unbound, rebound in modern pink paper over boards, leather spine label with gilt title. Some toning to last few leaves.boards All text is legible, some spot tanning throughout. In near fine condition. Rare. [ESTC N46064 ] ESTC shows two U.S. copies only: Henry E. Huntington Library and Yale University Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library; and two British Isles copies only: Oxford University Bodleian Library (both copies). This poem was printed multiple times in the 16th century, including by William Caxton's successor, Wynken de Worde. Rare as a separate volume. John Skelton (c.1463 - 1529) was a remarkable, unusual poet and priest, who had been the tutor of the Tudors, Prince Arthur...
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