Beautiful books on display

David Roberts was a Scottish painter who introduced the Holy Land to British viewers in the early-to-mid nineteenth century.

His meticulous drawings and watercolors of romantic landscapes and people in exotic costume fascinated the public, influencing Victorian taste and aesthetic sensibility and helping to shape the character of biblical narratives in popular imagination.

He travelled throughout Egypt, Nubia, Sinai, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon in 1838-1840, creating hundreds of sketches from life.  Upon his return to Edinburgh, he worked with lithographer Louis Haghe and the Rev. George Croly to produce beautiful oversized volumes of his images and Croly’s text.  This work was published over a span of years, 1842-49.  The expensive process of printing and binding was made possible by selling subscriptions to 400 buyers in advance, of whom Queen Victoria was the first.

The Morton Library is privileged to own first editions of Volume One,  Jerusalem and Galilee (1842), and Volume Two,  The Jordan and Bethlehem (1843).  We plan to display these volumes one at a time over the coming year, turning to a new illustration every two weeks.  Look for it in the large flat display case near the Circulation Desk.

Paula