ARABIAN NIGHTS ILLUSTRATED 1800-1950: BOOKS FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF ILLUSTRATION

This is a guided tour of the illustrated editions of ‘The Arabian Nights’, also called ‘The Thousand and One Nights’, published in England and America between 1800 and 1950. It begins with one of the earliest editions illustrated in 1802 by English artist Robert Smirke, who painted especially for inclusion in books. Following are the earliest attempts to print color plates, made from tin or copper, through the beginnings of wood blocks and photographic reproduction.

Featured are the most famous artists and illustrators of the Victorian and Golden Age, including John Gilbert, famous for his Dickens illustrations, William Harvey who engraved the woodblocks by hand, FOC Darley, the first American Brandywine illustrator and Walter Crane, whose his full- color woodblocks date the beginning of the Golden Age illustrators.

Modern 20th century editions include Edmund Dulac, Arthur Rackham, Kay Nielsen, Willy Pogany, Maxfield Parrish, the three Robinson brothers; William Heath, Thomas Heath and Charles, René Bull, Charles Folkard, Gustave Doré, Frances Brundage, JD Batten, William Strang, HJ Ford, George Soper, Helen Stratton, Walter Paget, Virginia F Sterrett, Eric Pape, Thomas Mackenzie and many others.

The illustrated stories include are ‘Aladdin, and the Wonderful Lamp’, ‘Sinbad the Sailor’, ‘Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves’, ‘The Enchanted Horse’, ‘Prince Ahmed and the Fairy Peri Banou, and many other favorites of the 1001 tales.