Author: HILL, C.T. (?-?)
Title: Ink-and-Wash Drawing
Description: Children's book and periodical illustrator about whom little is known; in April, May and June 1889 Hill provided the illustrations for Sarah Orne Jewett's serialized tale "A Bit of Color" for "St. Nicholas" magazine, later expanded into the 1890 novel "Betty Leicester: A Story of Girls," and his work appears in many other turn-of-the-century books and periodicals. Superb original ink-and-wash drawing, 12" X 9", n.p. n.d. Near fine. Neatly mounted to heavy art board. A nighttime flood scene, it shows half-submerged buildings and flotsam, with a man in a three-piece suit uncomfortably straddling a tall post and a small boat rowed by a black woman pulling up alongside. On the verso, in an unidentified hand (presumably an editor's), the title "Clarissy Ann and the Flood" is noted, the scene identified ("Clarissy Ann rescues her landlord") and a caption is given ("'I kin help you, if you agree to a few things' said Clarissy."). This same hand also indicates "St. Nic." -- a reference to "St. Nicholas: An Illustrated Magazine for Young Folks" (edited by Mary Mapes Dodge, published 1873-1939). This was one of two illustrations for this short story (pp. 688-91), which ran in the Volume 23, Part II, in 1896. L.E. Chittenden (1824-1900), author and banker and politician best known as Register of the U.S. Treasury in the Lincoln administration, authored the story. From the noted autograph collection of Albert Johannsen, author of "The House of Beadle and Adams and Its Dime and Nickel Novels" (University of Oklahoma Press, 1950), the definitive reference work and bibliography on the subject. A striking piece of original illustration art. Johannsen's original 8½" X 11" file folder, bearing a printed "Collection of Albert Johannsen" label (partly filled in by Johannsen), accompanies this item, along with a modern copy of this short story. .

Keywords: Art & Architecture


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