Stephen Lucius Gwynn Books about Ireland
/I’ve enjoyed 5 books with pictures of Ireland published in the same decade as World War I. The author – Stephen Lucius Gwynn – was an Irish MP and writer with close links to the Iris literary revival; he had a long and varied career (I always browse the Wikipedia entry for the authors/illustrators of books I enjoy). These books were illustrated by Irish illustrators of the time; many are in color; I selected one or two for each book. I find the illustrations of this period – just before color photography took over for books like this – very appealing. They capture the places as they were…also representing the history of book illustration.
The Famous Cities of Ireland (1915) with illustrations by Hugh Thomson
Leinster (1911) with illustrations by Alexander Williams
The Fair Hills of Ireland (1914) with illustrations by Hugh Thomson
Munster (1912) with illustrations by Alexander Williams
Ulster (1911) with illustrations by Alexander Williams
It is interesting to think about the time it took to produce these illustrations compared to photography. Do as many people make their living as artists today?
Technology has changed our work and the way we live in so many ways. I’ve changed almost entirely from physical to digital books over the past decade! I don’t need to go anywhere to obtain my books these days and there is always a huge number of books readily available to me. I find myself savoring the illustrations – painting and photographs - in books/website more than ever. What a boon during this pandemic year!
