Description

This facsimile edition of a 1922 childrens book features seventy-three dynamic and whimsical woodcut illustrationsthe first woodcuts that the famed American craftsman Wharton Esherick produced. A high-quality replica authorized by the Wharton Esherick Museum, this book reveals the foundation of Eshericks direction as an artist. Edited by Museum director Paul Eisenhauer, it also features a foreword by Museum assistant curator Laura Heemer. The illustrations frame verses that introduce children to the principles of evolution, a highly controversial topic at the time: the book was published three years before the famous Scopes Monkey trial of 1925 that resulted in the inclusion of the teaching of evolution in public schools. Drawn by the excitement of the controversy, Esherick threw his passion into these illustrations. Afterward he would go on to carve over 300 woodcuts, leading to decorative carving, and ultimately, to Eshericks realization that he was a sculptor rather than a painter.Contributions by The Wharton Esherick Museum, By Mary E. Marcy, Illustrated by Wharton Esherick, and Foreword by Laura HeemerMary E. Marcy was a leading socialist writer in the early 20th century. American artist and craftsman Wharton Esherick (18871970) is known primarily as a sculptor and furniture maker. His studio in Paoli, Pennsylvania, is open to the public as part of the Wharton Esherick Museum.73 b/w woodcut illusA Replica of the 1922 Edition Featuring the Poems of Mary E. Marcy with Woodcuts by Wharton Esherick73 b/w woodcut illus