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Art of the New Naturalists: A Complete History
Exploring the history behind the longest-running and arguably the most influential natural history series in the world, this investigation delves into the art archives of the New Naturalist books. With more than 100 volumes published over 60 years, this examination explains how the installments have risen to a level of collectability. Prints of awe-inspiring artwork are featured throughout, offering a unique insight into the methods of former artist Robert Gillmor, whose approach to each subject has revealed his distinctive style and craft. Findings from the Clifford and Rosemary Ellis archive are also discussed, providing considerable information on how the older covers were developed, approved or rejected, and proofed. Presenting a fascinating perspective of how these eminent designs came to be, this is an essential reference for those intrigued by the frantic workings behind a seemingly serene collection.
288 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 29, 2009
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May 30, 2012
This book was an utter delight, albeit a bit large to be wieldy as a bedtime book. "What?" People said "A book about book covers?" But a good deal of the success of the Collins New Naturalist series and why they are collectible is the dust jackets, designed first by the Ellis husband and wife team and latterly by Robert Gilmour. The basic premise of the series is excellent, the aim being scientific worth on natural history topics, written in an accessible style. I was attracted to the book because I enjoy Robert Gilmour's linocuts and was perhaps rather wary of the post-war 'drabness' of Clifford and Rosemary Ellis. However, I have come away from the book with a deep love of both (and gently advised that my pockets are not sufficient deep to do any collecting myself)
The book gives a biography of the Ellises (I would have liked one for Gilmour) which in itself was interesting although it raised a good many questions too. They were lecturers at Bath Academy of Art, rather visionary by the sound of it yet this was freelance work, done together as C&RE (such was the strength of this bond that the book records that C&RE and their dates are all that their daughters carved on their headstone) There is a good deal of internal publishing politics, which could of course be dull in the extreme, but isn't.
It is the attention to detail which really grips, both in prose and the artwork included in the book - the selection of image to entice the prospective purchaser, often highly original and whilst often very beautiful, rarely sentimental, the way the spine design is carefully thought out (even if due to lack of information about volume thickness or printing errors it didn't always work), the individual colophons for some of the books. Not all designs were as successful as others, sometimes because of financial constraints or printing and they engender a very definite response in the viewer.
There was a brief miserable phase where some beknighted volumes were cursed with photographic jackets sufficiently ghastly to provoke a real sensation of horror, so accustomed do we become to the usual art.
The book gives a biography of the Ellises (I would have liked one for Gilmour) which in itself was interesting although it raised a good many questions too. They were lecturers at Bath Academy of Art, rather visionary by the sound of it yet this was freelance work, done together as C&RE (such was the strength of this bond that the book records that C&RE and their dates are all that their daughters carved on their headstone) There is a good deal of internal publishing politics, which could of course be dull in the extreme, but isn't.
It is the attention to detail which really grips, both in prose and the artwork included in the book - the selection of image to entice the prospective purchaser, often highly original and whilst often very beautiful, rarely sentimental, the way the spine design is carefully thought out (even if due to lack of information about volume thickness or printing errors it didn't always work), the individual colophons for some of the books. Not all designs were as successful as others, sometimes because of financial constraints or printing and they engender a very definite response in the viewer.
There was a brief miserable phase where some beknighted volumes were cursed with photographic jackets sufficiently ghastly to provoke a real sensation of horror, so accustomed do we become to the usual art.
Displaying 1 of 1 review