The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-04-29
RARE WORKS By CRUIKSHANK.
Collection OF Edwin Truman, Dentist 10
Royalty, About to BE Sold.

HOSaltS, .ADOnt 10 Be solu'
LONDON, April 2i.-In recent years the
chief literary periodicals. of London have
usually contained at least one advertise
ment giving an American address and
Offering the best prices for the works OF
George Cruikshank. Thus there is on one
side Of the Atlantic a constant demand,
and on the other a relatively small supply.
Probably the demand is not less In Great
Britain, while to some extent it certainly
exists also in Continental Europe. and
yet, somehow, nobody seems TO talk about
George Cruikshank. OF all collecting
cranlis Cruiksbankians are assuredly the
quietest.
Knowing all about the forthcoming
sale Of the Truman collection OF this artists
works-by far the finest collection that
eNists-they will doubtless be quietly yet
firmly annoyed to find the affair brought to
publicity in THE sun; but it Is time that
somebody interfered with their conspiracy
Of silence, and the event. moreover, can
hardly be devoid Of interest for any
educated person.
Thu late Edwin Truman, a charming in
dividual, albeit a dentist, anne not very
long ago to the age Of 81, and ~theeupon
left Putney, London, for celestial regions.
He was, it must be explained, the royal
dentist, a man who tidied up the teeth Of
kings.
The boldneas. skill and discretion that
GRABBED Edwin Truman to gaze without a
tremor into gaping royal mouths and
play politely horrid tunes upon such high
born worries al might be found therein
! accompanied him in humber walks Of
ne, Ent,apt me- n ppioptict ha wng nllO
! practical as an inventor. sagacious "a a
political economist, jealous in religion.
charmingi in society, learned az a bibliophile
and expert as a collector,
Various portions of his large collections,
mainly books, prints, and drawings, have
recently been sold, and many have been
the veracious stories of his wonderful finds
and bargains; but the pride Of his collec-
tors heart, the great assemblage OF works
by Cruik shank, is held over till the best
time Of the season. From May 7 to May II
they furnish forth a six days sale in Sothe-
by's auction rooms. whittier nearly all
such collections find their way sooner or
later. In this instance no portion Is to be
kept back for a future occasion.
No expense, no trouble was too great
for Truman whe.. it was a question Of find
ing and acquiring some rare work by Cruik-
shank. Practically all his Saturday after
moons were devoted to their chase, and at
such times lie would drive around to the
various book and print sellers.
On one of these occasions having plir-
chased the entire stock of a dead book
seller rather than forego the part he wanted.
his cab broke down under its burden, and
| London Bridge was Uttered with the old
mans precious acquisitions. Alas. that
! they should now have to he dispersed more
widely It'll!
Possibly everybody does not know who
Cruikshank was. Possibly the youngest
generation has not had the good fortune
TO be brought up on Grimm's German
Popular Stories. translated from Kinder
und Haus Mdrchen" and illustrated by
/ Cruikshank.
In his Elements Of Drawing" Ruskin
writes, concerning these two volumes Of
fairy stories The etchings in them are
the finest things. next to Rembrandt's,
that. as far rs | know. have been done
since etching was invented" The first
editions of the two volumes. issued re-
spectively in 1929 and 1925, are now eH-
ceedingly rare. There are seven copies in
the Truman collection.
Cruikshank's strongly marked indi-
viduality in art Is no doubt partly due to
the fact that he had no regular training.
His father, Isaac Cruikshank. a contem-
porary Of Rowlandson, was an artist, and
IL was the wish of the mot her that he should
give their younger son. George, instruction
10 art. The father. however. was OF. the
wise opinion that il George was really
destined to become I'm artist he would
find his way without inst %ruction; and later.
when the boy tried to get into the Royal
Academy schools, they would not have
him.
In 1910 the father died. and George, Their
aged IL. determined TO support his mother.
To this end he took in hand some wood
blocks which his father had left unfinished,
and his success with them determined his
career. In the next year we find him
illustrating with caricatures a periodicl!
called The Scourge. or Monthly Expositor
of Inlposture and Folly" Three copies
will appear at Sotheby's.
Two years later. while pouring forth an
incessant stream of political caricatuLas,
ne becomes the joint founder of The
Meteor, or Monthly Censor a Critical.
Satirical and Literary Magazine" A great
rarity Of the Truman collection is this
Meteor, two volumes bound into one and
issued in 1914, together with two furt her
parts in the original pink wrappers. In
the vast collections of the British Museum
these are not to be found.
The first work of any great importance
in which our artist had a part was Life
this there are several copies. At much the
same time. or rather earlier, he did forty
ooiored plates fer The Humorist,"
Life in Paris followed, and soon after
ward, Grimm stones,
, To enumerate all the works Of Cruik-
shank's long and busy life. a life as long as
that of his admirer, Edwin Truman. is
impossible in a newspaper notice. The
I collection contains. in their earliest and
usually also in later editions. all the many
books that Cruikshank illustrated. There
are the Sketches by Boz" the "lngoldsby
Legends" Washington lrving's History
Of New York" and besides the books a
host of proof illustrations, ,caricatures and
F., broadsides, etchings, Autographs and
original paintings and drawings.
The sale catalogue contains | ,i2l auction
lots, and often one lot comprises numerous
items-sometimes thirty to forty items
The foregoing brief description of their
nature must suffice; but for the sake of local
interest it may be added that one lot in
cludes two sheets Of signed pencil sketches
for "Knickerbocker's New York"
HI'gITiI