Julia Margaret Cameron and Alfred Lord Tennyson

| 2 Comments

Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879), Illustrations to Tennyson’s Idylls of the King, and other poems (London: Henry S. King, 1875). volume 1, 12 albumen silver prints. Graphic Arts Collection (GAX) Oversize 2007-0055F. Purchased with David H. McAlpin Fund of the Art Museum, Friends of the Library Fund, and the Elmer Adler Memorial Fund. 1974.


“The Parting of Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere,” 1874. Albumen silver print. Idylls of the King and Other Poems




“Elaine, the Lily Maid of Astolat,” 1874. Albumen silver print. Idylls of the King and Other Poems

“Vivien and Merlin,” 1874. Albumen silver print. Idylls of the King and Other Poems

“Vivien and Merlin,” 1874. Albumen silver print. Idylls of the King and Other Poems

In the summer of 1874, Julia Margaret Cameron (1815-1879) was living next door to Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892) at Farringford, Freshwater, on the Isle of Wight. Tennyson had taken “Morte D’Arthur” published in 1842 and expanded it into “Idylls of the King” in 1859. He asked Cameron to make illustrations for a new publication of these poems and she produced over 200 prints from wet-plate collodion-on-glass negatives. Unfortunately, the publisher chose only two to be reformatted as wood-engravings and even those did not reproduce well in the final book.

At Tennyson’s encouragement, Cameron went on to produce a book of her own with albumen silver prints interspersed with texts by Tennyson lithographed from Cameron’s hand-writing. The first volume appeared in January 1875 and the second in May, selling for six guineas. The frontispiece for each volume was a portrait of Tennyson dressed as “The Dirty Monk,” dated 1869.

Cameron wrote, “My aspirations are to ennoble Photography and to secure for it the character and uses of High Art by combining the real and ideal sacrificing nothing of Truth by all possible devotion to Poetry and beauty.”

Alfred Lord Tennyson (1809-1892), Idylls of the King (London: E. Moxon, 1859). Contents: Enid. - Vivien. - Elaine. - Guinevere. PUL nine copies available

2 Comments

Julia Cameron is a never- ending topic for modern art historians, isn't she? I cited your work in my blog and created a link to your gorgeous images. Thanks
Hels

Thanks for the pictures. I just saw Simon Schama´s history of britain and fell in love with the pictures of Cameron. What a great composition, and to know that she also works with A.Tennyson, is just great. I will love to watch all Cameron´s pictures of The Idylls of the King.