photogravure – Page 2 – { feuilleton }

Gertrude Käsebier’s crystal gazer

The Crystal Gazer (or The Magic Crystal, 1904).

The photographs of Gertrude Käsebier (1852–1934) seem to be popular with art directors; the picture above was used on the sleeve of the Spangle Maker EP by the Cocteau Twins in 1984 and her Silhouette of a Woman / A Maiden at Prayer (1899) appeared on the cover of the Nonesuch recording of Henryk Górecki’s Symphony no. 3 in 1991.

The Spangle Maker by The Cocteau Twins (design by 23 Envelope).

• Gertrude Käsebier at the Art of the Photogravure

Previously on { feuilleton }
• Karl Blossfeldt
• The Dawn of the Autochrome
• Fred Holland Day
• The Door in the Wall
• Edward Steichen
• Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla

Karl Blossfeldt

Maiden-hair fern.

Photogravures by Karl Blossfeldt (1865–1932). More here.

Tendrils of a pumpkin.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• The Dawn of the Autochrome
• Fred Holland Day
• The Door in the Wall
• Edward Steichen
• Mark Twain and Nikola Tesla

The Door in the Wall

Photographer Alvin Langdon Coburn (1882–1966) illustrates HG Wells’ wonderful short stories in a rare edition of The Door in the Wall and Other Stories, from 1911. More pictures here.

The Door in the Wall was a true three-way collaboration between the author, the photographer and the typographer, Frederic W. Goudy, who specifically produced his Kennerley Old Style typeface for this book. Designed in the elegant Arts-and-Crafts style, it was printed on French hand-made paper at Goudy’s Village Press in an edition of 600 copies. In fact, only 300 copies contain the full compliment of Coburn’s rich photogravures, due to some being damaged in shipment and being replaced by aquatones. The photographer personally prepared the gravure plates, pulled proofs and oversaw the printing of the edition.

The Door in the Wall.

The Lord of the Dynamos.

Previously on { feuilleton }
• War of the Worlds book covers