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Ricketts (Charles) Collection
Ricketts Collection  
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Ricketts original artwork and prints Series 1. about 1888-1931

Box MS.1963.009 Bx 1, Folder 3

Illustrations for The Story of Pan probably 1888

Physical Description: 2 illustrations: pen and ink wash. Formerly mounted together in large acidic mount, but removed in 2023. Verso of both original drawings inscribed : "C. Ricketts, Illus to Story of Pan" in Ricketts's hand. Illustration of Pan gazing into a pool is mounted in a paper mat with Sperisen bookplate and additional inscriptions in an unknown hand on the verso: "Pen ink wash, heightened with Chinese White. From the Graham Robertson Colln."

Scope and Contents

From the W. Graham Robertson collection.
Box MS.1963.009 Bx 1, Folder 4

Original drawing for "The Lover Despairing to Attain" for The Magazine of Art about 1889

Physical Description: Pen and ink drawing, 33 x 26 cm. A page from The magazine of art, showing the published version, is also included. Formerly housed in acidic mat, but removed and conserved at the UCLA Hammer Museum in 1998-1999. Original labels from verso of original mat are also included here.
Box MS.1963.009 Bx 1, Folder 1

Binder's proof for the covers of Oscar Wilde's Poems about 1892

Physical Description: 11.25" x 7.75". Formerly mounted in acidic mat with Albert Sperisen bookplate; removed from mount in 2023, bookplate retained.

Scope and Contents

From the collection of William Rothenstein.
Box Clark Artwork Box 16A, Folder 8

Proof designs for Oscar Wilde's "Poems" 1892

Physical Description: 3 items: 1. Proof of cover design: gilt on binding cloth. 2. Rough pull of earlier design in red; ink on paper. 3. Prospectus

Scope and Contents

The rough pull in red is from the collection of C. Elkin Mathews. Provenance and acquisition information unknown.
Box MS.1963.009 Bx 1, Folder 7

On the reedy banks, illustration for Wilde's The sphinx about 1894

Physical Description: 1 drawing: pen and ink on pink paper, 19 x 15 cm

Scope and Contents

Original drawing for Oscar Wilde's The Sphinx. Appears in the published book as illustration #5. Original labels removed from old housing in 1999 included.
Box MS.1963.009 Bx 1, Folder 8

The burden of the cross, illustration for Wilde's The sphinx 1894

Physical Description: 1 drawing: pen and ink on vellum, 21 x 16 cm

Scope and Contents

This illustration was not used in the final publication.
Box MS.1961.008 Bx 1, Folder 1

Costume design for Lillah McCarthy in unknown play about 1900-1920?

Physical Description: 1 drawing: watercolor and ink on verso of Lansdowne House letterhead paper; 10 x 8.

Scope and Contents

Drawing of a blue and white 18th century costume, shown from the front and back with an accompanying piece of paper recording Lillah McCarthy's measurements. There are multiple notes and detail inserts in the costume design itself, including : "bow made of different width to waist band," "black furr [sic]" "yellow gloves if you like," "thin band of velvet at neck, baby ribbon" and "slight train." An inscription at the top of the page readings "Please throw this away afterwards." The costume design is drawn on the verso of letterhead from Landsdowne House, the building in London's Holland Park where Ricketts kept his studio. From the collection of Lillah McCarthy. Clark Library purchase, G.F. Sims, 1961 (accession MS.1961.008).
Box MS.1963.009 Bx 1, Folder 5

Untitled illustration for The Magazine of Art about 1900?

Physical Description: Pen and ink drawing ; 21 x 34 cm. Formerly housed in acidic mat, but removed and conserved at the UCLA Hammer Museum in 1998-1999.
Box MS.1963.009 Bx 1, Folder 7

Finis circa 1900-1931

Physical Description: Black and white lithograph, sheet 44 x 31 cm

Scope and Contents

Lithograph depicting death as a reaper. Page excised from Form: a quarterly of the arts, April 1916 (volume 1, number 1), page 49. Half of Austin Osman Spare's "Nemesis" printed on the verso.
Box Clark Artwork Box 18A

Silence plaster maquette about 1906

Scope and Contents

Copy of the bronze sculpture originally designed for Oscar Wilde's tomb. From the collection of Lillah McCarthy. Clark Library purchase, G.F. Sims, 1961 (accession MS.1961.008).
Box Clark Artwork Box 19A

Silence bronze sculpture about 1906

Physical Description: 1 statuette : bronze ; 36 cm. tall.

Scope and Contents

Originally submitted as a design for the Oscar Wilde Memorial in Pere Lachaise, Paris, but not used. Purchase, G. F. Sims, 1954. A.0089
drawer 74

The Dynasts poster 1914

Physical Description: 1 print: black & white lithograph in black and gold frame

Scope and Contents

Original poster advertising Harley Granville-Barker's production of Thomas Hardy's, The Dynasts. One of fifty proofs before lettering, signed by Ricketts and Hardy, which were sold at the theatre; proceeds from the sale went to benefit the Soldier's Cigarette Fund.
drawer 32, Folder 2

Costume design for unidentified character in the play "Judith" about 1916-1919

Physical Description: 1 drawing: watercolor and pencil; 40 x 20 cm mounted to 51 x 41 cm. Verso of mat includes Albert Sperisen bookplate and a partial label likely from Spedition E. Bäuml (the only legible portion reads "Wien I, Kantgasse 2").

Scope and Contents

Drawing of a costume design for a Black character in the play "Judith." Old inscription (not in Ricketts's hand at the top of the page says "Negro slave, Judith." This design either for the Arnold Bennett or T. Sturge Moore stage plays based on the story of Judith and Holofernes -- both plays were designed and dressed by Ricketts. This item exhibited at Royal Academy commemorative exhibit 1932-1933. From the collection of Albert Sperisen (accession MS.1963.009).
Box MS.1963.009 Bx 1, Folder 2

Costume design for Penelope Wheeler about 1916

Physical Description: 1 drawing: watercolor and pencil. 16 x 11 in. Formerly mounted in acidic housing; removed from mount in 2023. Sperisen bookplate to verso.
drawer 32, Folder 1

Three costume designs for Lillah McCarthy in the play "Judith" about 1919

Physical Description: 3 drawings: watercolor and pencil; images 38 x 29 cm to 52 x 28 cm

Scope and Contents

Drawings include 3 views of one of the iconic costumes from the 1919 production of Arnold Bennett's play, in which Judith's torso is clothed largely in three wide strips of black fabric. Drawings include: "Judith" [inscribed at top of image], "Judith under dress" [inscribe at top of image], and a third image where Judith wears a green tunic over the revealing costume pictured in the two other drawings (this drawing only includes inscribed notes indicating "panel, petunia satin" for part of the costume). Includes backing board from original frame, pasted with exhibition labels from the Royal Academy of Arts 1933 Winter Exhibition, and from the City of Manchester Art Gallery. From the collection of Lillah McCarthy. Clark Library purchase, G.F. Sims, 1961 (accession MS.1961.008).
Box MS.1961.008 Bx 1, Folder 2

Costume design for attendant character in the play "Judith" about 1919

Physical Description: 1 drawing: watercolor and pencil; 41 x 28 cm

Scope and Contents

Figure with mostly bare chest, amulets, orange head-dress and fan. Inscribed "Negro Attendant" in Ricketts' hand. From the collection of Lillah McCarthy. Clark Library purchase, G.F. Sims, 1961 (accession MS.1961.008).
 

Vale Press collaborative works Series 2. 1893

Box MS.1965.003 Bx 1-2

Daphnis and Chloe 1893

Physical Description: 32 prints: black and white woodcuts; various sizes, mounted to 12 1/2 x 19 in.

Scope and Contents

Partial set of signed and annotated trial proofs (32 of a set of 37) by Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon for Vale Publications' edition of the George Thornley translation (1657) of Daphnis & Chloe. Includes proofs of plates 1-4, 6-25, 28-33, 36-37. Accession #'s: MS.1965.003-plates 1, 2, 4, 10-13, 15, 16, 18, 20, 28, 31, 37; MS.1968.009-plates 7, 14, 17, 22, 25, 32; MS.1968.010-plates 3, 9, 19, 21, 23, 33; MS.1969.001-plates 6, 8, 24, 29, 30, 36
 

Posthumous miscellany Series 3. about 1940-1950

Box MS.1963.009 Bx 1, Folder 6

Guests at Daphnis & Chloe's Wedding Feast 194-?

Physical Description: 2 copies.

Scope and Contents

Keepsake printed by Harold Seeger and Albert Sperisen for members of the Roxburghe Club. Text printed below image taken from C.J. Holmes' Self & partners, explains that the illustration, from the Vale Press Daphnis and Chloe (London, 1893), is a portrait group featuring Ricketts, Holmes and five of their friends.
Box MS.1963.009 Bx 1, Folder 6

An Exhibition of Books Designed by Charles Ricketts from the Collection of A.E. Gallatin 1946

Scope and Contents

Exhibition brochure from The Houghton Library, Harvard.