H Noel (Henry Noel) HUMPHREYS 1810-1879
The art of illumination and missal painting: a guide to modern illuminators 1849
London: HG Bohn, 1849
chromolithography and gilt on paper in embossed leather binding with decorative paper inset
18.3 x 12.5 x 2cm
Australian Library of Art, State Library of Queensland
RB 745.67 1849
Illuminated: books, albums and addresses
Educational resources
Illuminated: books, albums and addresses explores the relationship between text and decoration in published and original materials dating from the late 19th and early 20th century. The State Library of Queensland holds only a few books that are strictly speaking illuminated but holds a fine collection of published books illuminated by the chromolithographic printing process. In Queensland during the 19th and early 20th century several publishing houses embraced the fashion for highly decorated items, and a number of illuminated addresses were produced and given to significant people in recognition of their services.
Illuminated: books, albums and addresses can be used to enrich studies of Australian History, Cultural Studies, English, Design and Visual Art. It features original primary source material from the John Oxley Library in the form of illuminated addresses which reveal aspects of Queensland history and the people who helped create it. English and visual art students will be amazed at how language and imagery are integrated in a selection of printed books on display. Illuminated: books, albums and addresses reveals how the distinctive, highly ornate decoration fashionable from the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries was part of an international revival of Gothic design.
What is an ‘illuminated book’?
In the 12th century the word ‘illuminator’ was first used to describe an artist who used bright colours and precious metals to ‘light up’ a page of a book. This highly ornate and delicate art form reached its height in the 15th century where books were illuminated with miniature paintings and embellished with fine, painted lacework. They were very expensive to produce because of the time and labour involved – illuminated books were made by hand, before printing was invented. As such, illumination was reserved for significant works such as the Bible. The 7th century Book of Kells held in Ireland and Très riches heures du Duc de Berry 1410 held in France are the finest examples of illumination known and have strongly influenced this art form.
What is an ‘illuminated address’?
The John Oxley Library has a superb collection of original illuminated addresses and albums created specifically to mark an event or celebrate a person’s achievements. From the late 19th to the early 20th century illuminated addresses were a popular way to mark a special occasion or an individual’s outstanding service. They were usually beautifully hand written and decorated, sometimes by leading artists, with very formal wording used to praise the addressee. The personalisation of illuminated albums and addresses was a major consideration, demonstrating the care and research undertaken by those who were presenting it as a gift. Commissions would often incorporate biographic elements into the design, foreshadowing the albums to be used in the television program ‘This is your life’. In their design and production illuminated addresses range from the discrete to the spectacular, and were generally signed by many people. Illuminated addresses were presented to the recipient as part of a formal celebration, in scroll form, as a framed panel, or album – often in elaborate casings and boxes.
What is ‘chromolithography’?
Chromolithography is an early type of lithographic colour printing process, used specifically for published books and magazines. While less painstaking than hand colouring – which it replaced – chromolithography still required separate stones or plates for each colour, often in excess of 20 stones for each image. Today we use digital technology to produce colour prints.
Where are the illuminators today?
With the development of printing in the mid-15th century, artists became less involved with the production of unique imagery for each book. Instead, they worked to create illustrations for woodblock prints and engravings used in mass produced volumes, sometimes with added hand colouring. While the fashion for illuminated book production has since diminished, the style remains fascinating and recurs in different forms, and even today artists may be found who practise a modified form of the art. Today, the term 'illumination' is used to describe illustration and decoration in manuscripts, whether or not gold is used.
Discussion point: Why illuminate?
- What were artists trying to do when they illuminated books with colours and metals?
- Why would illuminating a book take so long?
- Look carefully at the books illuminated by Gordon Dalrymple Nichol. He has used the writing and poetry of well known Australians AB Paterson, Henry Lawson and Will Ogilvie. How has he made the books look ‘Australian’?
Challenge questions
- What does illumination add to a book – if anything?
- Why would artists be interested in revitalising an outmoded style of book illustration?
- Compare hand painted with printed books. What are the differences? What would be the advantages and disadvantages of each method of working?
Discussion point: Using original materials
- These illuminated addresses were presented as gifts to significant people of Queensland, and represent a small selection of the illuminated addresses held in the John Oxley Library. What can you tell about each of the people simply by looking at the addresses and how they were made (look at the illustrations, the calligraphy, the photographs, the decoration, the materials used)?
- Describe the style of writing used, both its appearance and what it says. Under what circumstances would we use that type of writing today (if at all)?
- Original materials reveal a lot about our past. What do these illuminated addresses tell us about Queensland?
Research: People and print
- Investigate the biographies of some of the people featured in the illuminated addresses. Use the Australian Biography [new window] online to start.
- Look in Manuscripts Queensland to investigate other illuminated addresses and albums, or search for illuminated books and books on illumination through State Library collections.
- Investigate printing processes used to create illustrated books. How are they different from printing processes used to create artists’ prints?
- Watson and Ferguson remain book publishers and today can be found in Moorooka, Brisbane. Find out what the company needed to do to ‘move with the times’.
- Investigate the Gothic Revival style, also known as Neo-Gothic. It was not limited to illustration, but incorporated interior design, furniture, architecture, visual art, music and illustration. There are some architectural examples that you can still see, such as St John’s Anglican Cathedral, St Stephen’s Church and the Regent Theatre foyer, all in Brisbane.
Activity: Make your own illuminated address
- Design, select, photograph or download a selection of images and decorative motifs that reflect the interests of a significant person in your life (could be a friend, a family member or a celebrity). Arrange and paste them onto a sheet of paper, or into a computer design program, and then write a message on it about the person. Decorate the address appropriately and present it to the intended person.
Activity: Calligraphy
- While calligraphy is no longer taught in schools, some computer fonts try to replicate the handwriting styles of cursive writing. Try your hand at writing calligraphy. Conduct a search for various styles and copy them. Which do you think is better – the computer or the hand? Where do you see distinctive handwriting styles these days? Are some calligraphers better than others? Why?
Activity: Using the John Oxley Library as a study resource
- After researching the biography of one of the people featured in an illuminated address, bring your results into the John Oxley Library and find other material to give you further insight into the person’s life. The State Library staff can assist.
Last updated: 19th July 2011
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