literature

Drawing of Elizabeth Prentiss from the frontispiece of The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss Provided by the Wheaton College Archives - From the frontispiece of The Life and Letters of Elizabeth Prentiss, compiled by her husband George Lewis Prentiss (New York: Randolph & Co., 1882)

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280d

**‘[i’m] more than ever convinced of the necessity for social revolution.'**
#art #history: anti-fash author & all round superb goth babe, ethel mannin, was born #otd in 1900. if you fancy a fuller argument about why she's worth your time, see thread below.
#ethelMannin #author #socialist #antifascist #writer #literature #illustration #shrewsburyFC

digital ink illustration of antifascist, socialist writer, ethel mannin.
ethel's looking quite bauhaus here, her hair parted straight down the centre & combed smoothly over her ears & gathered behind her head. she rests her chin in her hand. the background is an abstract deco graphich of semi-circles, jutting angles & lines.
colours are pale peach, black & crimson.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lovers%27_Vows

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276d

#OTD in 1798.

Elizabeth Inchbald's Lovers' Vows (adapted from Kotzebue's Das Kind der Liebe – 1780; literally "Love Child," or "Natural Son," as it is often translated) is first performed at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, London.

It was likewise successful as a print publication, though it also aroused controversy about its "levelling" politics and moral ambiguity.

Lovers' Vows at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/4554

Title page of Elizabeth Inchbald's Lovers' Vows (London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, 1796)

via @medievalists
https://www.medievalists.net/2024/09/top-50-masterpieces-of-medieval-literature/

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276d

Top 50 Masterpieces of Medieval Literature

Unlock the rich and diverse world of medieval literature with our list of 50 masterpieces. From epic tales of heroism to timeless romances and spiritual writings, these works from the Middle Ages have shaped cultures and influenced storytelling traditions for centuries.

Dante and His Poem by Domenico di Michelino.

At the center of the composition stands Dante himself, depicted holding a copy of the Divine Comedy. He is shown wearing a red robe and a laurel wreath, which symbolizes his status as a poet. His expression is serene but contemplative, emphasizing his role as a guide through the realms of the afterlife.

The open book in Dante's hand is prominently displayed, showing the first lines of the Divine Comedy. This highlights the connection between Dante and his epic poem.

https://daily.jstor.org/zelda-fitzgerald-on-f-scotts-writing/

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272d

Zelda Fitzgerald on F. Scott’s Writing

Zelda’s satirical review of F. Scott’s second novel, The Beautiful and the Damned, revealed much more than her wit.

By: Emily Zarevich via @JSTOR_Daily

The Beautiful and the Damned at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9830

#books #literature #literarycriticism

F. Scott & Zelda Fitzgerald, 1923 via Wikimedia Commons

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262d

#OTD in 1912.

The first issue of Simbolul is put out in Bucharest by Marcel Janco, Tristan Tzara and Ion Vinea. the journal was a late representative of international Symbolism & the Romanian Symbolist movement.

Tristan Tzara at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/48499

The teen-aged founders and writers of the Simbolul art review, photographed in Bucharest. From left: Samuel Rosenstock ("Tristan Tzara"), unknown child, Marcel Janco, Jules Janco, Poldi Chapier, Ioan Iovanaki ("Ion Vinea") in 1915. Researcher Constandina Brezu identifies the unnamed boy as Iovanaki's much younger brother, Nicolae (see "Ion Vinea — fișier", in Luceafărul, Vol. IX, Issue 42, October 1966, p. 7).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titus_Andronicus

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279d

#OTD in 1923.

A production of Shakespeare's Titus Andronicus at The Old Vic, directed by Robert Atkins, is the first in London since 1857. It is also the first to restore the full original text since the playwright's time.

It is often seen as his attempt to emulate the violent & bloody revenge plays of his contemporaries, which were extremely popular with audiences throughout the 16th century.

Titus Andronicus at PG
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1507

Title page of the first quarto of Titus Andronicus by Shakespeare, published 1594

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279d

Irish novelist Edith Somerville died #OTD in 1949.

She wrote in collaboration with her cousin "Martin Ross" (Violet Martin) under the pseudonym "Somerville and Ross". Together they published a series of fourteen stories and novels, the most popular of which were The Real Charlotte, published in 1894, and Some Experiences of an Irish R. M., published in 1899.

Books by E. Œ. Somerville at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/5334

Somerville atop her horse Tarbush.

Source book page: https://archive.org/stream/irishmemories00some/irishmemories00some#page/n218/mode/1up

In the photograph, she appears composed and elegant, sitting confidently on her horse.

Somerville is dressed in traditional 19th-century riding attire. This would typically include a riding habit—likely a long, dark-colored skirt and jacket, tailored for horseback riding.

Her hair is styled modestly, often covered by a riding hat or bonnet, suitable for outdoor activity and in keeping with the fashion of the era.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harriet_Taylor_Mill

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279d

English philosopher and women's rights advocate Harriet Taylor Mill was born #OTD in 1807.

She is considered to have been a key contributor to many of John Stuart Mill’s most famous works, particularly "On Liberty" (1859) & "The Subjection of Women" (1869). Some of her own writings, such as her essay "The Enfranchisement of Women" (1851), argued for women's equality and their right to vote.

Books by Harriet Taylor Mill at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/73404

Harriet Mill, by unknown artist, Harriet Taylor Mill (née Harriet Hardy) (8 October 1807 – November 1858) was a philosopher and women's rights advocate. Her extant corpus of writing is very small, and she is largely remembered for her influence, which he said was very great, on her second husband, John Stuart Mill, one of the pre-eminent thinkers of the 19th century, Painting given to the National Portrait Gallery, London in 1982.

In the painting, Harriet Taylor Mill is presented with a refined and composed demeanor, reflecting her intellect and influence as a thinker. Her expression is calm yet thoughtful, with a sense of quiet determination that hints at her significant contributions to women's rights and social reform.

She has a delicate face, with fine features—perhaps high cheekbones, a soft jawline, and bright eyes that convey her sharp intellect. Her lips are often depicted with a slight, gentle smile or in a neutral, contemplative pose.

Her hair is styled in the fashion of the mid-19th century, likely parted in the center and arranged in neat waves or curls around her face, with the rest pulled back in a simple, elegant updo.

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274d

#OTD in 1905.

The English actor-manager Sir Henry Irving collapses in his hotel, while playing Thomas Becket on tour in Bradford, dying soon afterwards. 'Into thy hands, O Lord, into thy hands', and though he lived for an hour or so longer he never spoke again" were his last words.

Becket and other plays by Baron Alfred Tennyson at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/9162

Henry Irving as Thomas Becket.

Actor-manager Henry Irving (1838-1905) played the role of Thomas Becket in Becket by Alfred Lord Tennyson at the Lyceum Theatre in 1893. Becket was Irving's last role, he performed the character in Bradford in 1905 and died an hour after leaving the stage.

Bernard Partridge (1861-1945) was a painter and illustrator who became the principal cartoonist of Punch magazine. He acted at the Lyceum in his youth, using the name Bernard Gould, and made many drawings of Irving, some of which appeared in the theatre's souvenir programmes. His work has provided both a record of costumes and scenery and of the dramatic effect of Irving's performances.

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262d

"Whan that Aprill with his shoures soote
"The droghte of March hath perced to the roote,
And bathed every veyne in swych licour
Of which vertu engendred is the flour..."
Opening lines. The Canterbury Tales

~Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1343 – October 25, 1400)

More details Portrait of Chaucer as a Canterbury pilgrim, Ellesmere manuscript of The Canterbury Tales. The Tale of Melibee „A yong man called Melibeus, myghty and riche, bigat upon his wyf, that called was Prudence, a doghter which that called was Sophie. Upon a day bifel that he for his desport is went into the feeldes hem to pleye. His wyf and eek his doghter hath he left inwith his hous...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_du_Maurier#Writer

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279d

Franco-British cartoonist and writer George du Maurier died #OTD in 1896.

He is known for work in Punch and a Gothic novel Trilby (2nd novel), featuring the character Svengali. His first novel, Peter Ibbetson (1891), was a modest success at the time. The third novel was a long, largely autobiographical work entitled The Martian, published posthumously in 1898.

Books illustrated or by George du Maurier at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4661

#books #literature #illustration

British cartoonist and writer George Du Maurier in the middle of his career.

Historical and Public Figures Collection - New York Public Library Archives.

Du Maurier’s expression in these photographs is typically calm and composed, with a slightly introspective or serious demeanor.

His face is lean and defined, with high cheekbones and a prominent nose. By this point in his life, there may be signs of aging—lines around his eyes or forehead, suggesting a man who has spent years in thought and creativity.

Du Maurier sports a full, thick beard in many images from this period, often trimmed neatly to complement his serious, professional appearance. His hair is typically dark, though starting to gray, and styled with a side part. His beard and mustache frame his face, adding to his mature and distinguished look.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Criterion

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272d

#OTD in 1922.

T. S. Eliot founds The Criterion magazine, with the first appearance of his poem The Waste Land. This will be first fully published in book form by Boni & Liveright in New York in December.

Eliot's goal was to make it a literary review dedicated to the maintenance of standards and the reunification of a European intellectual community.

The Waste Land at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1321

#books #literature #poetry

Title page of the first book edition (December 1922) of The Waste Land by T. S. Eliot.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detective_Story_Magazine

Edited 272d ago

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272d

#OTD in 1915.

Detective Story Magazine is first published by Street & Smith of New York, a successor to Nick Carter Stories.

From February 21, 1931, to its demise, the magazine was titled Street & Smith's Detective Story Magazine. During half of its 34-year life, the magazine was popular enough to support weekly issues.

Nick Carter's works at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/4161

Debut issue of Detective Story Magazine (October 5, 1915)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deadwood_Dick

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272d

#OTD in 1877.

Edward L. Wheeler's first story featuring Deadwood Dick, set on the American frontier, opens the first number of Beadle's Half-Dime Library, published in New York.

Full text is available here:
https://dimenovels.lib.niu.edu/islandora/object/dimenovels%3A22066#page/2/mode/1up

Works by Edward Lytton Wheeler at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/5741

Edward L. Wheeler. Deadwood Dick, the Prince of the Road; or, The Black Rider of the Black Hills. (October 15), 1877.

Published by Beadle and Adams. - http://www.ulib.niu.edu/badndp/fig73.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Barton

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272d

"Were all men equal to-night, some would get the start by rising an hour earlier to-morrow."

#OTD in 1848.

Elizabeth Gaskell's first novel, Mary Barton: A Tale of Manchester Life is published anonymously by Chapman & Hall in London in two volumes.

Gaskell was paid £100 for the novel. The publisher Edward Chapman had had the manuscript since the middle of 1847.

Mary Barton at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/2153

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Whiston#Scientific_lecturer_and_popular_author

Edited 272d ago

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271d

#OTD in 1736.

Mathematician William Whiston's predicted comet fails to strike the Earth.

Whiston's A New Theory of the Earth from its Original to the Consummation of All Things (1696) was an articulation of creationism and flood geology. It held that the global flood of Noah had been caused by a comet.

Books by William Whiston at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/author/1051

#books #literature #mathematics #theology

A portrait of William Whiston with a diagram demonstrating his theories of cometary catastrophism, described in A New Theory of the Earth

Unidentified painter - The original uploader was Tuckerresearch at English Wikipedia.

The diagram he holds demonstrates his theories on cometary catastrophism. A painting almost 300 years old, found on the covers of many books about Whiston.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Nemo

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272d

#OTD in 1905.

The weekly full-color comic strip Little Nemo in Slumberland, by Winsor McCay, debuts in the New York Herald.

The strip was renamed In the Land of Wonderful Dreams when McCay brought it to William Randolph Hearst's New York American, where it ran from Sept. 1911-July 1914. When McCay returned to the Herald in 1924, he revived the strip, and it ran under its original title from Aug. 1924-Jan. 1927.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winsor_McCay

#books #literature #comics

Last panel of the 1906-02-11 episode of Little Nemo in Slumberland by American cartoonist Winsor McCay.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letitia_Elizabeth_Landon

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272d

English poet and novelist Letitia Elizabeth Landon died #OTD in 1838.

Her first major breakthrough came with The Improvisatrice and thence she developed the metrical romance towards the Victorian ideal of the Victorian monologue, influencing fellow English writers such as Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Robert Browning, Alfred Tennyson and Christina Rossetti.

Books about Letitia Elizabeth Landon at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/56166

#books #literature #poetry

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (1802–1838); variation of the original painting by Daniel Maclise.

Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L.E.L.) was a renowned English poet and novelist of the early 19th century, known for her Romantic works. In the portrait by Daniel Maclise, she is depicted with a delicate and refined appearance, typical of Romantic portraiture of the time. The original shows her seated gracefully, with soft curls framing her face, gazing thoughtfully into the distance. Her attire consists of elegant 19th-century clothing, with rich textures and details.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Our_American_Cousin

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272d

#OTD in 1858.

The farce Our American Cousin by the English playwright Tom Taylor is first performed at Laura Keene's Theatre in New York City, with the American Joe Jefferson in the title rôle and the English actor Edward Askew Sothern as Lord Dundreary.

Our American Cousin at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/3158

Photograph of Edward Askew Sothern as Lord Dundreary.

Unknown author - http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/chatterbox/2009/02/our_american_cousin_revisited.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Adventures_of_Sherlock_Holmes

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273d

#OTD in 1892.

The first collection of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories from The Strand Magazine (June 1891–June 1892), The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, is published by George Newnes in London; it includes Doyle's favourite, "The Adventure of the Speckled Band", which was originally published in February.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/1661

Illustration of the Sherlock Holmes short story The Speckled Band, which appeared in The Strand Magazine in February, 1892. Original caption was "WHICH OF YOU IS HOLMES?"

Sidney Paget (1860 - 1908)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winnie-the-Pooh_(book)#

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273d

#OTD in 1926.

The children's book Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne first appears, published by Methuen in London.

Winnie-the-Pooh's entrance into the public domain in the United States on January 1, 2022 was noted by several news publications, generally in the context of a greater Public Domain Day article.

https://web.law.duke.edu/cspd/publicdomainday/2022/#fn6text

Winnie-the-Pooh at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/67098

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moby-Dick

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269d

"Call me Ishmael."

#OTD in 1851.

Herman Melville's Moby-Dick is first published as The Whale by Richard Bentley of London.

In the October 1851 issue of Harper's New Monthly Magazine "The Town Ho's Story" was published, with a footnote reading: "From 'The Whale'. The title of a new work by Mr. Melville, in the press of Harper and Brothers, and now publishing in London by Mr. Bentley."

Moby-Dick at PG:
https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/15