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1 of 253523 objects
Lines to be sung at the unveiling of a memorial to the late Queen Alexandra 1932
21.6 x 14.3 x 0.8 cm (book measurement (conservation)) | RCIN 1047156
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John Masefield was poet laureate from 1930 to his death in 1967. He was a prolific poet and fiction writer, and by the end of his life his volume of 'Collected Poems' had sold over 200,000 copies. This was an unprecedented figure for a modern poet, and spoke to his popularity with readers. Today, however, he is perhaps most well known as a children's writer, having authored such classics as The Midnight Folk (1927) and The Box of Delights (1935). This small book is bound in vellum with blue ribbons and gold tooling of a laurel wreath on the front cover. The poem it contains was written out by a calligrapher in black ink with red initials. It is also illustrated with two watercolour and ink paintings of ships done by Masefield himself. The poem is a memorial to King George V's mother, Queen Alexandra, and was set to music by Edward Elgar for the unveiling of a memorial to the late queen.
Provenance
Presented to King George V by John Masefield on the occasion of the unveiling of the memorial to the late Queen Alexandra, 1932.
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Creator(s)
(binder)Acquirer(s)
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Measurements
21.6 x 14.3 x 0.8 cm (book measurement (conservation))
23.0 x 1.5 cm (book in slip case)
Featured in
ExhibitionPoetry for the Palace: The Queen's Gallery, Palace of Holyroodhouse
This exhibition explores the role of the Poet Laureate