28 Letters by Islam Aly

The fall exhibit in Special Collections, Creative Codex: Books as Art in the Walter Havighurst Special Collections, was created to harmonize with Miami University’s year of Creativity and Innovation. As the Preservation Librarian, I have spent countless hours assisting the curators of Special Collections with preparations for their exhibits. When the year of Creativity and Innovation was announced, I jumped at the chance to not only curate my very first exhibit, but to curate an exhibit on one of my favorite holdings in Special Collections – Artists’ books.

Crucial Perimeter 1, by Islam Aly

So what, exactly, is an artist’s book? The definition itself is usually up for some debate. I’ve seen artist’s book defined as “a work of art that utilizes the form of a book,” however there are plenty of examples in the exhibit that seem to contradict this definition such as Lee Krist’s How to Transition on Sixty-Three Cents a Day, or Family Tree by Julie Chen. The Smithsonian Library defines an artist’s book as “a medium of artistic expression that uses the form or function of “book” as inspiration,” and further claims it is the artist’s intent that truly defines an artist’s book. Regardless of a concrete definition, most artist’s books are created to make art that is interactive, portable, and easily shared.

Family Tree by Julie Chen

One of the unique challenges of this exhibit was in figuring out how to display these works of art. Even traditional books can be difficult to display, as they are meant to be read, and the pages turned. Artists’ books took this challenge to a whole new level. Unlike traditional works of art, such as paintings, drawings, and even statues, artists’ books are truly made to be handled by the viewer. In fact, many of the books rely on the viewer’s interaction in order to meet their full potential. Artists’ books are certainly not made to be locked up behind glass and viewed statically from the other side. In order to reconcile the interactive nature of artists’ books with the static nature of exhibits, I examined each book for the most dynamic position for viewing. In the majority of cases, that meant the book was to be fully opened and extended, with as much of the structure and content visible as possible.

An Exquisite Future by Corcoran School of the Arts & Design

Once I had all the books chosen our Curator of Special Collections, Carly Sentieri, assisted me with the basic layout of the exhibit cases. The next step was to create custom cradles and supports. Creating the cradles for artists’ books was a little different than I was used to. Hardly any of the books in the exhibit open in the traditional fashion of a codex. Coupled with my determination to display the books as dynamically as possible, my challenge was to create supports that would allow for the visual I wanted, but with the support that was needed. Many of these books are unique or very limited run, handmade items. The last thing I wanted to do was irreparably damage these beautiful objects in the pursuit of showing them off.

XX by Carrie Ann Plank

For the majority of the book supports I used sheets of PETG, a transparent, thermoplastic material that can be bent and formed by hand. The PETG sheets created a rigid structure that the book could be strapped to, creating a support that both cradled the book and held it in place.

Darwin at Sea by Diane Stemper

Creative Codex: Books as Art in the Walter Havighurst Special Collections is currently exhibited in the Walter Havighurst Special Collections (King Library, room 321), and will remain on display until the beginning of December. An opening reception for the exhibit, featuring guest speaker and local book artist Diane Stemper, will take place on Thursday October 22, from 4-6pm in King Library room 320.

Ashley Jones
Preservation Librarian

Edmund Dulac’s Sleeping Beauty, from The Sleeping Beauty and Other Tales, 1910

The Walter Havighurst Special Collections has a great collection of Children’s Literature, and since I began working here in June I have found myself outright bewitched by some of the illustrations I’ve seen.  In fact, materials from the “Golden Age” of book illustration (from about 1860 to 1930) in particular have really captured my imagination, and so I could not think of a better inaugural blog post than a few paragraphs about this new-found passion.

I had heard of artists like Edmund Dulac and Arthur Rackham before; Rackham, after all, famously illustrated the first edition of Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens, and Dulac’s sumptuous illustrations for The Arabian Nights featured in a children’s book I myself owned many years ago.

Arthur Rackham’s Undine, from Undine, 1909

But even these artists who already existed on my periphery surprised me when I saw their work in person.  In the early 20th century, it wasn’t unusual for an artist like Rackham to have his illustrations featured in large “deluxe” editions, particularly before the outbreak of World War I when materials were less expensive and there was a greater market for such luxuries.  For me, seeing these illustrations so carefully inserted into the text, often protected by fine sheets of glassine, helped me realize what treasures these books really are.

Illustration from William Timlin’s The Ship that Sailed to Mars, 1923.

Of course, a new appreciation for familiar artists is only part of the story.  I also began to encounter new artists from the era, people like Paul Woodruffe (a man primarily known for his stained glass work in places like St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York), William Timlin, and Kay Nielsen, and their works are no less captivating.

William Timlin’s The Ship that Sailed to Mars is filled with large and brilliant illustrations, most of which feature images of the titular ship traveling through the cosmos.  Timlin’s story itself has perhaps not aged as well as it could have; the text carries a rather explicit colonialist message, which isn’t exactly surprising considering Timlin spent almost all of his life living in South Africa.  But the book itself is stunning regardless, printed in Timlin’s own calligraphy and featuring more than 40 full-color illustrations.

Woodroffe’s Ariel, from a 1908 edition of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

Likewise, Paul Woodroffe also produced some beautiful and memorable work during this period, though his illustrations are sadly little remembered today.  Woodroffe’s work for Shakespeare’s  in 1908 is a particular favorite of mine.  It depicts an androgynous Ariel as a lovely and expressive fairy and generally emphasizes the whimsical and playful aspects of the character.  Woodroffe’s training in stained glass also shows through in his work on this book, with strong lines, delicate colors, and clear, expressive faces all see heavy emphasis.

One of Nielsen’s illustrations from a 1922 edition of East of the Sun and West of the Moon.

Finally, I find Nielsen’s work in particular to be captivating, and I’m not alone on that note; three years ago, our own Preservation Librarian Ashley Jones made a post about his work.  Nielsen’s art is sometimes moody and subdued, and other times frantic and bright.  Whatever the story calls for, Nielsen seems able to convey that feeling perfectly.  The difference in tone between his work in East of the Sun and West of the Moon (1914) and The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Other Fairy Tales (1923) is undeniably drastic, but Nielsen’s unique style remains consistent.

One of Nielsen’s illustrations from Twelve Dancing Princesses and Other Fairy Tales, 1923.

These artists were all new to me, and I’m sure that as I come to learn more about the collection–and as the collection grows–I will discover even more illustrators from this time period whose works capture my imagination.  I would also like to encourage everyone to stop by Special Collections and take some time to explore these works with me!

Goodbye!

Since 2008 researchers of music and theatre have benefited from the generous donations of Mr. Larry Moore, a Miami University alumnus 68, MA 70.

Mr. Moore, a New York-based freelance arranger and orchestrator, has been praised by the New York Daily News as “one of the most ingenious practitioners in his profession.”  For the New Amsterdam Theatre Company, he supplied additional orchestrations for Victor Hebert’s Eileen and Sweethearts; Jerome Kern’s Roberta, Rudolph Friml’s The Firefly, and the Gershwin-Romberg Rosalie.  His restoration of Cole Porter’s show Jubilee was performed by the New Amsterdam Theatre Company as well as during the Indiana University Cole Porter Centennial Celebration.  For the Goodspeed Opera House, he provided orchestrations for Oh, Kay! And The Chocolate Soldier. With Michael Tilson Thomas, he orchestrated the New York City Ballet’s Tea- Rose, based on unpublished Gershwin piano pieces. His adaptation of Babes in Toyland was commissioned by the Houston Grand Opera and later performed by Chicago’s Light Opera Works and Opera Omaha. For Utah Festival Opera, he provided additional orchestrations for Frank Loesser’s Greenwillow.

Recordings include Fifty Million Frenchmen, Babes in Arms (both for New World Records), the complete Show Boat (for Angel-EMI), Love Lives On (The New York City Gay Men’s Chorus), Unsung Sondheim, the Lost in Boston series (for Varese Sarabande), and solo albums for Jason Graae, Liz Callaway, Judy Kuhn, and Rebecca Luker. For city Center’s Encores!, he has provided editorial work and/or additional orchestrations for Call Me Madam, The Boys from Syracuse, and Pal Joey (all recorded by DRG.) His choral arrangements for Leonard Bernstein’s “Dream With Me and “The Wrong Note Rag” are published by Boosey & Hawkes. His own choral music is published by Yelton Rhodes Music of Los Angeles.

The manuscript portion of the collection predominantly contains pieces written for the New York City Gay Men’s Choir. There are several holiday selections as well as medleys of pop culture tunes. The show manuscripts include The Brain from Planet X, Finnian’s Rainbow, Babes in Toyland, and several other shows.

Musical score – manuscript of Dearest Enemy

Personal materials include a wide range of correspondence and contracts related to Mr. Moore’s work in the music industry. There is a section of documents related to Mr. Moore’s affiliation with the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers (ASCAP).   Additional items of interest include report cards and diplomas from kindergarten through his master’s degree, and family photos.  The collection includes thousands of playbills and programs from various productions that Mr. Moore has attended.

The printed music collection includes hundreds of popular songs from the 1900’s forward. Well-known artists include Leonard Bernstein, George and Ira Gershwin, Cole Porter, the Beatles, and Henry Purcell. While the bulk of the manuscripts are in Special Collections, many of the books and media are held in the Amos Music Library.

Some of the latest donations include full productions of Roberta and Dearest Enemy from draft to performance. Some unpublished materials including the musical theatre Libretti, like the original 1934 Anything Goes, the full score of Mr. Moore’s Cole Porter musical Jubilee, a script for Bernstein’s CANDIDE that Mr. Moore proposed production for the Middletown Lyric Theatre.

Complete production of Dearest Enemy

Thanks to a great staff in Special Collections and Archives who sorted, organized, housed for preservation and created a finding aid for Mr. Moore’s collection and a wonderful article in the winter 2015 edition of The Miamian and subsequent emails from his friends seems to have also benefited the Libraries by his donations to his Alma Mater.

This October Mr. Moore will be visiting Miami University and he will be in Hamilton on October 7, 2015 as a guest speaker at the Michael Colligan History Project (colliganproject.org) with his presentation “Everyone Want To  Be Sondheim.”

Crucial Perimeter 1 by Islam Aly

With the new school year beginning, we are excited to roll out our Fall 2015 exhibit: The Creative Codex: Books as Art in the Walter Havighurst Special Collections! Curated by Preservation Librarian Ashley Jones and Curator of Special Collections Carly Sentieri, it is a visually enthralling exhibit focusing on the physical book itself as a work of art.

However, displaying these materials which focus not on printed content but on the objects themselves raises a unique challenge in how to display artist’s books behind glass. To address this challenge, Ashley and I decided to create a three-dimensional image of one of books which could be used as part of the exhibit. The item we chose was Islam Aly’s Crucial Perimeter 1, Ashley’s favorite book in the exhibit. After a bit of research, we went with Autodesk’s 123D Catch as a free option for rendering a 3D object out of a series of photographs.

Ashley Jones preparing the book to be suspended with fishing wire for the photo shoot.

The first question was how to capture the book at every angle. Given that its spine is designed to bend like a Slinky, we had to make sure it was at the same curve for every shot at every angle. We settled on suspending it from the ceiling to be able to photograph it at every angle without having to adjust it. After creating secure bindings to ensure no excessive strain was being placed on the book, we used fishing line to hang the book.

The book hanging from the ceiling in Preservation, ready to be photographed

Once suspended, I was able to photograph the book at every angle. In the end, it took 70 photos to create the 3D rendering. Overall, 123D Catch does a pretty impressive job of automatically stitching the individual photos together into a 3D model, but sometimes it needed help. Given the symmetry of the book, sometimes it struggled to understand which side was which. Also, while I thought to scatter some materials on the floor below the book to help identify the angles of the photos, I didn’t plan for how to manage the repetitive ceiling patterns, which resulted in the photos from below the book being the most problematic in stitching together.

Manual stiching in 123D Catch

But when all was said and done, we were able to create a nice little 3D digital version of the artist’s book. 123D Catch was able to then turn this into a YouTube video which we now have running on a screen as part of the exhibit and which you can see below.

The edges are a little rough, which I would have liked to be able to clean up more but Autodesk’s 3D object editor Meshmixer was unable to process the object and in the end we had to accept the version 123D Catch rendered. But we’re still pretty happy with the job it does showing the viewer how Aly created such a fascinating object.

The Creative Codex is on display in King 321 until December 11, 2015. A reception will be held Thursday, October 22, from 4-6 PM in King 320. A tour of the exhibit will be included, as well as a guest lecture by Diane Stemper, a local artist whose works are featured in the exhibit.

Marcus Ladd
Special Collections Digital Librarian

Recently I shifted the framed art in the André and Catherine de Saint-Rat collection, which drew my attention to how little this collection is known and used. In class presentations and private viewings I most often pull books and portfolios, rarely adding one or two framed pieces. It’s easier to pull books or even posters than larger paintings and the requests I usually get are almost always for books. However, the fine art pieces are very impressive and possibly the most valuable part of the larger de Saint-Rat collection. Among couple dozen framed paintings and lithographs by various artists from different time periods, several are by Alexandre Benois, who was an extremely important 20th century figure, especially in the context of the de Saint-Rat collection. He was possibly the most influential artist, art critic, theater designer, and author of the Silver Age. He was responsible for the creation of the group Mir Iskusstva (World of Art), establishing the aesthetic for stage design through his work with Diaghilev for the Ballets Russes, as well as for the recognition of many artists, whose careers may not have happened without his involvement.

Alexandre Benois (1870-1960) came from a famous family of artists and architects in Russia, which continued the tradition for several generations. He attended the Academy of Arts in Saint-Petersburg, but did most of his training with his older brother and on his own. IUrii Annenkov, also well represented in the de Saint-Rat collection, remembered Benois as an autodidact, whose passion for art extended to all time periods, all nations, and all forms. Benois authored several multi-volume works on art history, painting history, and Russian art. Annenkov also credits Benois with being the father of Russian graphic arts. Before the beginning of the 20th century in Russia there were master draftsmen, but with the influence of Benois there emerged such graphic artists as Konstantin Somov, Eugene Lancer, Leon Bakst. His support extended to young artists working in other forms, as well. Marc Chagall was one of Benois’ protégés. The creation of the World of Art group by Benois and Diaghilev helped Russian art expand its range and focus. With the financial help of Princess Maria Tenisheva and Savva Mamontov, who were passionate supporters of artist colonies in the 19th and 20th century, Benois and Diaghilev were able to publish the art magazine “World of Art,” spreading their influence farther. The very first issue of the magazine in 1898 challenged the prevalent ideology of realism. Annenkov insists that this influence and the influence of Benois’ linear, clear, and very architectural work was ideological rather than stylistic. His unmistakable compositional elements, extreme expressiveness and elegant brushstrokes are very recognizable and, while still representational, go beyond realism in their transparency and weightlessness.

Benois moved to Paris in 1926, around the same time as most of his peers. The political situation in the new Soviet Union prevented most of these artists from working freely and without fear. It’s interesting that even now, in the time when Russia is beginning to claim back its famous sons and daughters who had to flee the Soviet Union, Benois’ article in the Russian Wikipedia still states that Benois “left Russia in 1926, failing to return from a business trip and without returning his per diem.” When Benois did not return, the country lost a lot more than his per diem.

The originals of Benois’ drawings and watercolors are not the only examples of his remarkable work. He illustrated many books, which are also a part of the de Saint-Rat collection. The Bronze Horseman is probably his best-known illustrative work. There are several editions of it illustrated by Benois and other artists in Special Collections. There is also a lot more to Alexadre Benois than can be addressed in a blog entry. Stop by Special Collections to discover more about this remarkable figure and to see the pieces in person.

Masha Stepanova

Slavic Librarian