Franklin Booth
New York: Robert Frank Publisher, 1925. Booth, Franklin. 1st ed. Hardcover. 1st ed in uncommon jacket. Large 4to, striking full blue cloth with chaste gilt titling to cover and spine. Appreciation by Ernest Elmo Calkins and an introduction by Meredith Nicholson. Sixty full-page reproductions of elaborately detailed pen and ink drawings by Indiana-born Booth (1874-1948). The first collection of his work and quite a handsome production. While well known now for his dramatic color illustrations for the poetic fantasy, The Flying Islands of the Night by James Whitcomb Riley (another son of Indiana), Booth is best known for his fine-line drawings that were widespread in the top magazines of his day, both editorial illustrations and for advertisers. He admitted his style was based on wood and steel engravers he encountered as a youth, not realizing at the time these were not drawn with a pen. He became among the best known pen and ink masters, along with Joseph Clement Cole and Orson Lowell, and was much in demand. This volume celebrates Booth's superlative black and white work, illustrating adventure, fashion, fantasy castles and sailing ships, and a variety of other subjects. Top quality reproduction and in a large size that makes his fine details far more accessible. Pages are uncut, Japanese style, so there is no printing on the back of any plate.
The much-loved comic book artist Bernie Wrightson was just one of a generation of admirers of Booth's work. Wrightson freely credited Booth's work as his major influence for his own best known pen and ink work, the illustrations for Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, which was recently re-released in a new edition. There is an extensive entry on Booth in Wikipedia and he is included in all the significant studies of this period. He was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame.
The book itself is not often found, much less in jacket. Publisher Robert Frank was more of a specialty publisher than better known names and this has the appearance of a fine press project. In fact, a signed limited edition of it was produced but limited to 60 copies. Today that edition is extremely scarce.
Fine in chipped but unclipped dj with tape reinforcement largely to a worn spot at bottom of front panel. Item #27907
Price: $650.00