Title: The Lady of the Lake.
Published in the early stages of photography, and including tipped-in
photographs, this volume of Sir Walter Scott's classic narrative poem,
"The Lady of the Lake", is in pleasing condition, in the original full
red morocco binding, decorated in gilt.
Illustrations by Birket Foster and John Gilbert and original
tipped-in sepia photographs by acclaimed Scottish photographer
G. Washington Wilson. Photographs include view of Trossachs,
Loch Katrine, Inversnaid, Loch Achray, Bealach-Nam-Bo, and Stirling Castle.
Edinburgh: Adam and Charles Black, 1863. 8vo. 339 pages, including appendix.
Memorable with 10 original tipped-in early photographs, each with tissue
guard for protection. Full red morocco ornately tooled in gilt,
with five raised bands, gilt tooling and gilt tilte to spine.
Original marbled endpapers. Contemporary dedication inscription to
front end paper.
A lovely volume in very good condition, with solid spine,
and internally bright with vivid early photographs.
The classic narrative poem is composed of six cantos,
each of which concerns the action of a single day. The poem has three
main plots: the contest among three men, Roderick Dhu, James Fitz-James,
and Malcolm Graeme, to win the love of Ellen Douglas; the feud and
reconciliation of King James V of Scotland and James Douglas; and a war
between the lowland Scots (led by James V) and the highland clans
(led by Roderick Dhu of Clan Alpine). This work was tremendously influential
in the nineteenth century, and did much to inspire the Highland Revival.
Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832), was a prolific Scottish historical novelist and poet, popular throughout Europe during his time. Scott was the first English-language author to have a truly international career in his lifetime, with many contemporary readers in Europe, Australia, and North America. His novels and poetry are still read, and many of his works remain classics of both English-language literature and of Scottish literature. Famous titles include Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Lady of The Lake, Waverley, The Heart of Midlothian and The Bride of Lammermoor.
George Washington Wilson (1823 - 1893), was a pioneering Scottish photographer. After studying art in Edinburgh and London, Wilson returned to his native city of Aberdeen in 1849 and established a business as a portrait miniaturist catering to the wealthy families of the North East of Scotland. Wilson ventured into portrait photography in 1852 setting a portrait studio with John Hay in 25 Crown Street in Aberdeen. From there, aided by his well-developed technical and commercial acumen and a contract to photograph the Royal Family while documenting the building of Balmoral Castle in 1854-1855, he established himself as one of Scotland's premier photographers working for Queen Victoria and Prince Albert in 1860
Pioneering the development of techniques for photography outside of the studio and the mass production of photographic prints, he moved increasingly from portraiture to landscape photography in the 1860s. He also produced stereoscopic pictures which main characteristic was that the exposures were very short. By 1864 he claimed to have sold over half a million prints. At the time of his death in 1893 his business employed 40 staff and was one of the largest publishers of photographic prints in the world, competing with James Valentine, who was also a prolific photographer, with a large company in Dundee.
Back to Search Results
) 
VOYAGER PRESS BOOKS 1.888.656.2006
Print
Report item
