New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-12
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
BOOKS FOR THE HOLIDAYS.

sRAvEls INTO SEVERAL REMOTE NATIONS OF
TEE WORLD BY LEMUEL CULVER. BY JoNA-
TaIS swift With a Predatory Memoir by George
saintsoury. Svo pp XVI, 429. seTlDneF' "ei'oiu
THE DAY DREAM. BY ALFRED TENNYsOH Illus
trated Alto. L. p. Dutton Co.
OLD LINES IN NEW BLACK AND WHITE Illustrated rated
nv r. HoPKINsoN SMITH. HoughtOu, Mthiin a co.
POETIC THOUGHTS WITH PICTURES. illustrator
]. B. LippincOtt Co. 49, -,
The copiously illustrated edition of "Gulllvers
Travels although its pea-green cover may fail to
attract fastidious taste is nevertheless a hanu-
some book. Tie type is clear and SHAGGY, the
naner is excellent and che page well proporioned
40 that the volume is a comfortable one 10 read.
The wood-cuts. 90 in number, are apparently
French Two-thrds of them are colored. IN rather
strong tints but upon the whole with an effect that
will be popular. The figures in Liliput are mostly
upon Japanese models, and in all bis drawings inc
artist leans toward the grotesque. This is dong
better than many other illustrators OF swift VINO
run too often into farce. The humor OF swift was
not farclcal.
Every device to increase the effect of sulnptuous-
mass seems 70 have been employed in the holiday
edition of @The Day Dream" and among drawing
rooYo books il must be accounted highly successful
Tho full page wood-cuGs are printed on heaNy pilVo
paper tinted in various ingenious designs inc WORK
having been executed under the supervision oil
George r. Andrew, and the drawings being by
Harper Woodward PIERCE, Garrett Copeland,
Harry Fem and w. j. Fem The Day Dream
10 particularly well suited to the purposes OF the
artist and most of these gentlemen lave seized the
picturesque and romantic effects with which 1t
abouuds. Bnt Mr. HarpeTs faiy-prlncc is fairy
prince of the stage-that is handsome woman in
pages dress
Mr.. T. Hopkinson Smith has made twelve land
scape sketches in charcoal winch the publishers
have had faithfully reproduced by the Lewis
pbototvpe process These patcs with twelve
leaves bearing verses by Lowell, Holmes and Whit
tier. have been placed in a neat portfolio, tied
by ribbons which are affixed to the covers by an
antique seal" Nh Smith has long since proved
himself a dextrous and Intelligent workman in
black and white, and the various studies which be
has f.ted TO these verses sustain this reputation
without going further. If they betTay his lack of
imaginative power, they are on the other hand
seldom weak except where the artist
has tried to work up grasses and foi'-
age with a medium best adapted to treatment
in planes and broad effects of light and shade The
connection between the verses and the so-called IL
Illustrations is sometimes not obvious. Sometimes
on the contrary he who runs can read, as when
"Venice at her Watery Gate is followed by
neatly drawn gond0la in well-rendercd water wait
ing at Venetian doorway. 1t is seldom that Nh
Smith allows himself to iudu &c in any eXuberaAt
plav of fancy IN two OF three studies Illustrative
of Under the Willows and The Crooked Foot
path tho artist has obtained especially fcrcible
effects aud the badness of Nos. VII and VIII Is
relieved by the simplicity and fitness of No. Y
There seems TO have been no urgent reason for the
union of these lines and Mr. Smiths sketches, nat
now that the knot is tied and the antique seal
affixed there is nothing to object to seriously The
phototype process has answered. its purpose well
although the original medium IS not altogether
oil tn nh a Vorr11 % lack
phere and g lnuzziucss of well-sCrubbed char
coal drawing become more conspicuous ia photo
prints, although the latter follow the originals as
faithfully as in the example before ms.
Poetic Thoughts with Pictures" is a title
which brings to Mid the " KcepsaAos' and " An
nual," of q past g,uer ton, and the crude cOngen-
tioYa.ity OF the design upon the cover carries the
likeness further There IS a "decoratIyo' title
page as q matter of course. with the usual unrest
full supcraouudance Of blossoms and grasses and
agitat.d birds among which the Overzealous de-
signer has planted stawart daughter OF the
studio who does violence to our faith in Amcr-
can progress IN figure drawing. But after these
ATTEMPTS 10 original work peace Of mind IS
uuualed. Turning page after page, VIC are waited
into the tranquil, sororlic atmosphere Of ouT oW
National Academy. Here are neat and proper ht,lo
land and water scapes, dogs deer, puppies and
lovers all Of which might have freshly escaped
from the Academy galleries. Why they should
have been reproduced it is not cary TO sec until
we ind an explanation Mt the end of the book but
the dangerous facility offered by photography III
its present multiform uses ID the printing press IS
responsible for much. 1t has tempted the members
of the Artists Fund Society Of Philadelphia TO
commemorate its hftoth anniversary By issuing
this volume of photOgrayuI-s from their paintings
accompanied by appropriate pootca! selections The
reproductions small, the quotations brief, and
those who love to quote the rivulet Of text" can
meanGer through broad margins to their hearts
conteut The book is made on q generous scale
The pictures need little comment. The wriukled,
frosty-3earded head in Mr.. s. J. Ferriss "Dccem-
Der and May comes out moro clearly and strongly
than auy of its Companions. but tho subject is as
loary with age rs Mr. Fcrris's model. Messrs. W.
r. Richards Schel. TrOtter and Lambden are
among the other contributors aud Mr.. Frederick
James illustrates Thackerays tender lines, At the
Church Door" with typos which Thackeray would
disowu. A portrait of the first yice-president of
the society Mr. I. L. Walter. by the venerable
John Sartaiu is q not uniDtercstng example of the
old-fashioncd cpgraycr etching. The object OF
this pubicatiOn-tO aid the benevolent fund Of the
SJcicty-would have been fuTtheIcd by selecting
pcures especially ADAPTED for photo reproduction.
The liner effects of landscapes are lost III these small
prints, most Of which appeal neither TO popular
nor am instructed taste. But the originals without
regard TO he reproductive process, are not to be
suspected OF being valuable contributions to our
art.