The Prettiest doll c.1922
Manuscript on vellum with illuminated decoration | 2.8 cm (Height) x 0.3 cm (Depth) (book measurement (conservation)) | RCIN 1171108
-
Full leather bound in vellum with ties Hewitt was a leader in the revival of gilding in calligraphy at the beginning of the 20th century, and one of the initiators of the Society of Scribes and Illuminators, in 1921. His work is well represented in the Royal Collection, particularly in the laureate poems of John Masefield (1878-1967), who presented his work in vellum manuscript, often written out and decorated by Hewitt. Queen Mary’s Dolls’ House was a gift to Queen Mary from the nation; a showcase for contemporary craft and design, it preserved for history the ideal home of the 1920s, at a scale of one foot to one inch. Princess Marie Louise, Queen Victoria’s granddaughter, conceived the idea, and through her influence many famous artists, designers, authors and craftsmen contributed to the project. The dolls’ house library contains, alongside standard works such as four tiny Bibles, miniature atlases and a complete works of Shakespeare, over 200 diminutive editions of contemporary British literature. Princess Marie Louise personally wrote to the most famous writers of the time to ask for either an original composition or a suitable passage from work already published, transcribed by hand or submitted for professional copying. Though most are manuscript, there are a few printed works. The bindings are mostly morocco leather or vellum, some with beautifully precise gold-tooled decoration. The majority of the volumes were bound by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, with the remaining bound by Birdsall & Son, Hatchards, A. Loosely, R. Riviere & Sons and Zaehnsdorf. Each book contains a tiny bookplate designed by E.H. Shepard, the illustrator of Winnie the Pooh.
Provenance
Presented to Queen Mary by Graily Hewitt, c.1923
-
Creator(s)
(calligrapher)Acquirer(s)
-
Medium and techniques
Manuscript on vellum with illuminated decoration
Measurements
2.8 cm (Height) x 0.3 cm (Depth) (book measurement (conservation))
2.8 x 0.3 cm (book measurement (inventory))
Category
Alternative title(s)
The Prettiest doll / Charles Kingsley ; [calligraphy by Graily Hewitt].