|
|
 |
Mother Goose Materials in the Roger Duvoisin Archive
Roger Duvoisin (1904-1980)
Mother Goose: A Comprehensive Collection of the Rhymes.
Edited by William Rose Benét.
New York: The Heritage Press, 1936
Detail, illustration for "Old Mother Hubbard"
Ink, gouache and graphite on paper
13 x 9 ¾ inches
Gift of Louise Fatio Duvoisin
1986.1191.039
The Roger Duvoisin archive contains most of the original illustrations and some preparatory materials for:
Mother Goose: A Comprehensive Collection of the Rhymes.
Edited by William Rose Benét. New York: The Heritage Press, 1936
The collection also contains some preparatory materials for a later, related work:
Mother Goose: A Comprehensive Collection of the Rhymes.
Edited by William Rose Benét. New York: The Heritage Illustrated Bookshelf, 1943
Illustrations and preparatory materials by Roger Duvoisin for Mother Goose in the Rutgers Collection comprise 126 accessioned items, given in 1986 and 1989 by the artist's widow, Louise Fatio Duvoisin. These materials include mechanicals - that is, illustrations prepared for reproduction with collaged text, and some preparatory materials for the 1936 edition, exceptions noted below. The gift also includes a few illustrations and sketches that are related to the 1943 edition.
A number of illustrations for the 1936 edition are not included in the collection. They are as follows: The illustration for the book cover, and a vignette facing the title page are not included. There is a color sketch but no illustration for page 13. Illustrations for the following pages are not included: page 31, pages 34-35, page 39, page 43, page 44, pages 52-53, page 54, page 59, pages 70-71, page 72, page75-79, page 84, page 107, pages 118-119, page 120, page 122, page 125, and page 141.
Paint and ink used to create the illustrations remain in good condition, although the paper support of some pieces has darkened. In many instances, the printed pieces of text that were cut and pasted to the illustrations have separated from the page, due to gradual drying of the paste. As a result, we are able to observe the illustrator's techniques for planning the integration of art and text. In some cases, the portion of the page allotted to text has been simply left blank. In some instances, the artist drew lines indicating the location of text. Occasionally he printed some or all of the text in its anticipated location. Darkened areas and traces of paste mark the former location of text. The condition of the illustrations reflects their intended primary use as the means of creating a printed book. Cutting and pasting, and the occasional use of white gouache or correction fluid affect the condition and appearance of the original illustrations but are typical of many children's book illustrations from this era.
|
|
