Robert Louis Stevenson | EdRLS

... Sidney Colvin, Mrs Fleeming Jenkin, 'Coggie' Ferrier (sister of his close ... Stevenson's substantive mistakes are not corrected; I am thinking here of ... EdRLS TheNewEdinburghEditionoftheCollectedWorksofRobertLouisStevenson PostsTagged‘RobertLouisStevenson’ Stevenson’sdedicationsto others withonecomment CopeCornfordonStevenson’sDedications LeslieCopeCornford,anovelistandjournalistspecializinginmaritimematters,publishedoneoftheearlieststudiesofStevensonin1899:RobertLouisStevenson,ashortvolumejustundertwohundredpages,partbiographical,partcritical.Thelastsectionofthepenultimatechapter,devotedto‘HisStyle’,beginsasfollows: ButStevenson’smostnotableachievementsasanexecutantwere,perhaps,hisDedications.ItisuponrecordthatThomasStevenson,whenallbooksfailedhim,asbookswillfailusallattimes,wouldtakedownthevolumesofhissonandreadtheDedicationstherein.These,atleast,never,tothelastdayofhislife,failedtogivehimthesamepleasure.SinceBenJonsonwrote,therehavebeennobetterexamplesofthisformofcomposition,madeup,astheperfectDedicationmustbe,oftact,delicacy,eloquence,andcunningcraftsmanship.(p.191) LeslieCopeCornford(1867–1927) Thepresent-dayreaderissurprised;whywouldCopeCornfordpickoutStevenson’sDedicationsforsuchpraise? CopeCornfordwasafriendandlaterbiographerofW.E.Henley,andhadworkedforhimontheNationalObserver,andinthePrefacehethankshimforhishelp.WeknowthatHenleyfelthehadbeenmistreatedbyStevenson,sowecanperhapsseeHenley’sinfluenceinthechoiceoftheword‘executant’(alsothelastwordinthebook),whichimpliesthatStevensonwasessentiallyawonderfulcraftsman,attentivetoform,andthechoiceofhisDedicationsforhighpraisemayfitintothesamerelativizationofachievement. YetatthesametimeCopeCornfordalsoadmiredStevenson,and,nodoubtinspiredbyTreasureIsland,wastopublishhisownpirateromanceTheLastBuccaneerin1902.Inthequotationjustgivenheseemstobeintwominds:hisacclaimseemsgenuine,hereallydoesfindtheDedicationsworthyofpraise,andhegoesontoquotewithapprovalfromthoseforVirginibusPuerisque(toHenley).TheMerryMen(toLadyTaylor),TravelswithaDonkey(toColvin),TheMasterofBallantrae(toSirPercyandLadyShelley)andCatriona(toBaxter). TheanecdoteofThomasStevensonattheendofhislifereadingStevenson’sDedicationsistouching,andgivesanideaofthepleasure,gracefulnessandcharmofStevenson’sstyleintheseshorttexts:‘tact,delicacy,eloquence,andcunningcraftsmanship’. WhatfollowsisanattempttounderstandmorefullywhyanyoneshouldselectStevenson’sDedicationsasoneofhisnotableachievements. DedicationsbeforeStevenson Thededicationinfromthesixteenthandseventeenthcenturiestypicallytooktheformofthededicatoryletterdisplayingrhetoricalskilltoahigh-statusdedicateewhoistreatedwithceremoniouspraise,whileatthesametimethe‘littlebook’ismodestlydown-played.TheheydaysuchlongepistolaryDedicationswasca.1560to1720(ManfredGörlach,TextTypesandtheHistoryofEnglish(Berlin/NewYork:MoutondeGruyter,2004),114)and‘thelongtypeofdedicatoryletterwasdefinitelydeadby1800’(ibid.,120). Dedicationswereeitherabsentfromavolumeorconfinedtothebrief,centrallyalignedinscriptionheadedbytheword‘To’.However,theimportanceplacedonfriendshipbytheRomanticpoetsledtoabriefseasoninwhichthelinkoffriendshipisstressedinanaffectionatededicatoryletter. ByrondedicatedTheCorsair(1814)tohisfriendThomasMooreinalongletter(alsofunctioningasapreface)beginning‘MydearMoore’;anddedicatedthefourthcantoofChildHarold(1818)toanotherfriendJohnCamHobhouseinasimilarlongletter,beginning‘MydearHobhouse’,praisinghimas‘afriendoftentriedandneverfoundwanting’.Shelley,similarly,dedicatedhisversedramaTheCenci(1919)inalettertoLeighHunt,whichstartsasfollows: andendsthus: DedicationsinStevenson’sday ThefirststudyofDedicationswasHenryWheatley’sDedicationofBookstoPatronandFriend:AChapterinLiteraryHistory(1887).Inhislastchapter‘ModernDedications’hesays‘Asformerlynobookwasissuedwithoutadedication,sonowfewarepublishedwiththem’.AlthoughWheatleyunfortunatelyoverlooksStevenson,histestimonyshowshowatthistimeStevenson’sbooks—almosteveryonewithadedication—musthavestoodoutasunusual. Novelswerenotnormallyassociatedwithdedications:Dickenshasbriefinscriptionsinonlytwoofhis(HardTimesandOurMutualFriend),ThackeraydedicatedPendennis(1850)tohisdoctorinabriefletterofgratitudeforhisattentionsthepreviousyear;GeorgeEliotandThomasHardydidwithoutdedications;MeredithandlaterConradconfinedthemselvestobriefinscriptions. Asforessays,Lamb’sEssaysofEliaareplayfullydedicated‘TotheFriendlyandJudiciousReader’,buttherearenodedicationstoLeighHuntsEssays,Hazlitt’sTableTalk,AlexanderSmith’sDreamthorporThackeray’sRoundaboutPapers. TheonlyexampleIhavefoundfromtheimmediatelyprecedingperiodthatseemsclosetoStevenson’sdedicatoryletters—perhapsthegentlereadermayfindsomeothers—isEdwardBulwerLytton’sdedicationtoCaxtonianaof1863,oneoftheessaysofwhichisreferredtobyStevensonin1868(L1,147).Thishasthesameallusiontosharedmemoriesandemphasisonfriendship: Stevenson’sdedications Aswehaveseen,apartfromCaxtonianiana(andanyother—Isuspect,rare—examples),thelackofdedicationsincontemporarycollectionsofessaysmusthavemeantthattothefirstreadersitwouldhavebeenasurprisetoopenVirginibusPuerisquein1881andseethecollectionofpreviouslypublishedessayspresentedasaself-standingworkandwithadedicatoryletter(notevenprecededbythetitle‘Dedication’)writteninaforegroundedstyle,withaboldbeginningreminiscentofthebrusquenessofBaconorThomasBrowne: andendingelegantly,emphasizingthebondsoffriendshipwiththededicatee: Leavingasidethevolumesco-authoredwithLloydOsbourne,forwhichtherearenodedications,Stevensonwrotetendedicatoryletters,sixinscriptionsandfourdedicatorypoems(andalsoinscriptions,toLangandMeredith,totwooftheplayswrittenwithHenley).Theyarenotablefortheirelegantstyleandaffectionatetone,emphasizinginmostcasesthetiesoffriendshipandsharedmemories.Insomecasesthereareallusionsthatonlythededicateecanunderstand,asinthededicationtoBaxterofKidnapped,inwhichherefersto‘theoldSpeculative’,‘theingloriousMacBean’and‘thatgreatsociety,theL.J.R.’Suchdetailsemphasizethatthisisindeedaprivatecommunication,andinthededicationtoSidneyColvinofTravelswithaDonkeyheevenplayfullysuggeststhattheordinaryreaderisjusthelpingtopayforthedeliveryofthededicatorylettertothededicatee: Stevenson’sinfluence ToestimateStevenson’sinfluenceinthewritingofdedicationswouldrequireaseparatestudy,butherearetwoexamples.Firstofall,thededicationtoCriticalKit-Kats(1896)byStevenson’sfriendEdmundGosse.Itisalong,personal,friendly,stylishlywittydedicationlettertoThomasHardy,withreferencetoconversationsandlongfriendship: Itends,likeStevenson’sdedicationtoHenleywithahopeforcontinuedfriendshipinthefuture: Andforasecondexample,letustakeJohnBuchan’sTheThirty-NineSteps(1915),anadventureromancethatowessomethingtoKidnapped,dedicatedtotheScottishrugbyplayerandpublisherThomasArthurNelson(killedinFrancetwoyearslater): Otherexamplesofsuchdedicationsarewelcomedfromthegentlereader.Forthemoment,though,perhapswehaveunderstoodalittlemorewhyStevenson’sdedicationsstoodoutforhisfirstreadersasartisticallyinnovative,assomethingunexpectedandnew. Writtenbyrdury 23/09/2020at7:55am PostedinNews TaggedwithDedications,paratext,RobertLouisStevenson,Stevenson'sinfluence RLS’sBournemouthreading withonecomment FollowingthepostonStevenson’sBournemouth,herearefourlistingsofbooksthatwereacquiredandreadintheBournemouthyears.TheywereobtainedbyfilteredsearchesontheRLSLibraryDatabase(http://bit.ly/RLSLibrary). Facts,rawdata,bitsofinformationetc.asstoredinrecordsandsurveys,arethemselvessterileandneedtobeselected,isolatedandlinkedtostimulateunderstanding.Thisexplainstheeternalfascinationoflistsandthewaythefewfactsonaseriesoftombstonescanopenupunsuspectedstories.Let’sseewhatwecandobygroupingtogethersomeoftheentriesintheRLSLibraryDatabaseconcerningbooksthatStevensonreadwhileinBournemouth. NoneofthedescriptionsofSkerryvorementionbookshelvesorbookcases,butwemayimaginethatbookswouldhavebeenkeptinthedrawingroomandintheseparatebedroomsofFannyandLouis.ThefollowinglistscontainthebooksthatwereprobablyacquiredintheBournemouthyears.Therewereotherbooks,withtheSkerryvorebookplatetoo,buttheyhadbeenacquiredearlierandhadbeentransportedfromEdinburghorHyères,andthesehavebeenexcluded.Likethecasualvisitorwholooksoverthebookshelvesoratthebookslyingontableswhilewaitingaloneinaroom,runningtheeyedowntheselists(inthemomentaryabsenceofthemasterandthemistressofthehouse)givesussomeideaoftheinterests,currentinterests,andcharacteroftheirowners. Thefirstlistgivesanideaofanetworkofliteraryfriendssendingeachothercopiesoftheirlatestbooks.Oneunexpectedresultofthislistingisthatitincludestwobookspublishedin1886thattheirauthorscallashillingromanceorshillingdreadful—thesameformat/genreadoptedbytheStramgeCaseofDrJekyllandMrHyde,suggestinghowthisworkinspiredotherstotrytheirhandatsomethingsimilar.TherearealsopresentationcopiesfromtheirBournemouthfriendstheTaylorsand(followingStevenson’sgrowingrepute)anumberofunsolicitedbooks,somewelcome,otherslessso. Stevenson’sSkerryvorebookplate _____ 1.Presentationvolumesfromfriendsandotherwriters received1884 VernonLee[VioletPaget],TheCountessofAlbany(1884)         probablyapresentationcopy,untraced;discussedinalettertotheauthor,Oct1884 received1885 JohnWebster,EdmundGosse(ed.),Love’sGraduate(1885)         presentationcopywithinscription:‘RobertLouisStevensonfromhisfriendEdmundGosse5.6.85.’ JosephPennellandElizabethRobinsPennell,ACanterburyPilgrimage,Ridden,Written,andIlustratedbyJ.andE.R.P.(1885)         atandemtricyclejourneyfromLondontoCanterbury;volumededicationtoStevenson:‘ToMr.RobertLouisStevenson,We,whoareunknowntohim,dedicatethisrecordofoneofourshortjourneysonaTricycle,ingratitudeforthehappyhourswehavespenttravellingwithhimandhisDonkey’;RLSrepliedwiththanksinJuly1885:‘whenIreceivedthePilgrimage,Iwasinastate(notatallcommonwithme)ofdepression,andthepleasanttestimonythatmyworkhadnotallbeeninvaindidmuchtosetmeupagain.’(L5,p.121). JulianRussellSturgis,JohnMaidment(1885)         presentationcopy,untraced;letterfromtheauthor,27Nov1885:‘Iventuretosendyoumynewbook,hopingyoumayfindsomethingtolikeinit’(McKay,4,5825,p.1654) SirHenryTaylor,AutobiographyofHenryTaylor,1800-1875(1885)         probablyapresentationcopy,untraced;lettertotheauthor24Dec1885:‘Ihaveatlastreadyourautobiography,andthatwithsolivelyapleasurethatIcannotresistwritingtothankyouetc.’(L5,pp.160-1);reply25Dec1885:‘Itisarealandfinepleasuretomethatthatbookofminehasgivenyoupleasure&especiallythatyouradmirationofthosewhomIadmiredhasfixeditselfuponmystepmother’(McKay,4,5838,p.1658) JohnKeats,WillH.Low(ill.),Lamia(1885)         volumededicationtoStevenson:‘Intestimonyofloyalfriendshipandofacommonfaithindoubtfultalesfromfaeryland,IdedicatetoRobertLouisStevensonmyworkinthisbook         WHL’;seeletterfromRLStoLow,2Jan1886:LamiahascomeandIdonotknowhowtothankyounotonlyforthebeautifulartofthedesigns,butforthehandsomeandaptwordsofthededicationetc.’(L5,p.163) CharlesWarrenStoddard,ATroubledHeartandHowitwasComfortedatLast(1885)         presentationcopywithinscription:‘LouisandFannyStevenson–withtheloveoftheirdevotedfriend,theauthor.’ HenryJames,TheAuthorofBeltraffio,etc.(1885)         presentationcopywithinscription:‘RobertLouisStevenson,fromhisfriendofmanyevenings,HenryJames’ WilliamWilberforceNewton,SummerSermonsfromaBerkshirePulpit(1885)         presentationcopywithinscriptiontoRLS;atYale,inscriptionnotseen GabrielSarrazin(ed.),Poetesmodernesdel’Angleterre(1885)         presentationcopywithinscriptiontoRLS;inscriptionnotseen received1886 WilliamSharp(ed.),SonnetsofthisCentury(1886)         presentationcopywithinscription:‘ToRobertLouisStevensoninslightacknowledgmentofanirredeemabledebtofpleasure—fromWilliamSharpJanuary‘86’;Sharpproducedasecondeditionincluding‘TheTouchofLife’,oneofthetwosonnetsthatStevensonsentwithhisreply(Letters5,pp.191–2) WilliamSharp(ed.),SonnetsofthisCentury(largepapercopy)(1886)         presentationcopywithinscription:‘ToRobertLouisStevenson,withhighregard—WilliamSharp’,fromalettersentinDec,thiswassentearlyNov1886(McKay,4,5488,p.1574) JohnCoventry[JohnWilliamsonPalmer,AfterhisKind(1886)         untracedpresentationcopyfromanAmericanphysicianandpoet;seeRLS’scoolreply,13Feb1886:‘Thankyouforyourletterandbook,whichisofmorepromise(inmyeyes)thanperformance’etc.(L5,p.201) EdmundGosse,FromShakespearetoPope.AnInquiryintotheCausesandPhenomenaoftheRiseofClassicalPoetryinEngland(1885)         presentationcopywithinscription:‘RobertLouisStevensonfromhisfriendEdmundGosse–28/3/86’ AndrewLang,TheMarkofCain(1886)         presentationcopywithinscription:‘A.L.canscribble,A.L.canscrawl,/A.L.canrhymeallday,/Buthecan’thititoffwithashillingromance,/For,–heneverwasbuiltthatway!/A.L.//Totheauthorof/TheHellsofGourock./Mr.HideandDr.Seek-ill./ASequel./InFact/ToR.L.Stevenson./purisomniapura’(L5,p.253);seeletterfromRLStoLang,May1886:IhaveneverthankedyouforthemagnificentMarkdeluxe.Ihadalreadyreaditinthebob[=shilling]formetc.’(L5,p.253);DrJekyllandMrHydewasalsoinpriceandformat‘ashillingromance’(seenoteforVernonLeebelow) WilliamArcher,AbouttheTheatre.EssaysandStudies(1886)         presentationcopywithinscriptiononhalf-title:‘RobertLouisStevenson fromW.A.5June:86’ EdmundW.Gosse,Raleigh(1886)         probablyapresentationcopy,untraced;letterfromRLStoGosse,29July1886:‘ImustnotloseamomentincongratulatingyouonyourRaleigh.Itisathoroughlysoundpieceofnarrative,andbrilliant,notinpatches,butbygeneraleffectetc.’(5,p.295).) WilliamSmith,Morley,AncientandModern(1886)         presentationcopywithinscription:‘ToR.L.Stevenson,Esq.,withtheAuthor’skindregards,Morley,Aug.17,1886.’;Skerryvorebookplate;inaletteraccompanyingthebookdated17Aug1886,theauthorasksifhecouldhaveacopyofoneofStevenson’sworkswithanautographinscription;localhistoryanddescriptionofaYorkshiretown VernonLee[VioletPaget],APhantomLover(1886)         presentationcopy,untraced,sentwithaletterinwhichtheauthorcallsita‘shillingdreadful’,McKay,6,p.2556;seeletterfromRLS,lateAug1886:Iamjustbutreturnedandhavefoundthedreadfulandyournoteetc.’(L5,pp.306-7);another‘shillingdreadful’possiblyinspiredbyDrJekyllandMrHyde(seeAndrewLangabove) AubreydeVere,TheSearchafterProserpineandotherPoems(1886)         presentationcopywithinscription:‘R.LouisStevenson,fromAubreydeVere,August31,1886’;letterfromRLStoIdaTaylor,lateAug/earlySept1886:Iamdeathon[=(slang)enthusiasticabout]AubreydeVere’spoems,andshallwritetohimsoon(L5,p.308);deVerewasacousinoftheStevensons’BournemouthfriendLadyTaylor JohnCDunlop&AlisonHayDunlop,WilliamHole(ill.),TheBookofOldEdinburgh(1886)         presentationcopyfromStevenson’sfriendWilliamHole,illustratorofKidnappedandauthoroftheillustrationsinthebook;seeletterfromRLStoHole,lateSept1886:‘Manythanksforthebeautifulbook:someofthepicturesaremostengaging,andsomeveryspirited’(L5,p.325) IdaA.Taylor,Allegiance:aNovel(1886)         probablyapresentationcopy,untraced RichardWGilder,Lyrics(1885)         presentationcopywithinscription:‘ToRobertLouisStevenson,withtheregard&admirationofhisfriend,R.W.Gilder–Oct.1887’;Skerryvorebookplate;GilderwaspoetandeditoroftheCenturyMagazineinwhichTheSilveradoSquattershadbeenpublishedin1883 received1887 SirStephenEdwarddeVere,TranslationsfromHoraceandafeworiginalPoems(1886)         presentationcopywithinscriptiontoRLS,1887;elderbrotherofAubreydeVere _____ 2.Englishlanguageliterature Excludingbooksknowntohavebeenacquiredandreadlater published1884 MarkTwain,TheAdventuresofHuckleberryFinn(1884)         readenthusiasticallyimmediatelyuponLondonpublicationinDec1884;Henleywasamongtheearliestreviewers(Athenæum,27Dec1884(L5,pp.41,80;L6,pp.161–2) published1885 H.RiderHaggard,KingSolomon’sMines(1885)         probablysentbyHenleywithrecommendation:cf.Henley’slettertoRLS,16Oct1885:‘HowdoyoulikeKingSolomon’sMines?Ithinkitisblamedgood.Notart,ofcourse;butagooddealofblazingimagination’(Atkinson,p.144). GeorgeMeredith,DianaoftheCrossways(1885)         published16Feb1885;inaletterc.6May1885RLSsaysheis‘sittingnowintheporch,nowoutonthegravel,readingMeredith,lookingattherhododendronsandredhawthorn’ BranderMatthews,TheLastMeeting(1885)         sentbyHenley;letterfromHenleytoBranderMatthews24Dec1885:‘IamgoingtosendLouistheLastMeeting.Whateverhesaysofityoushallhear’;letterfromRLStoHenleyearlyJan1886:‘BranderMatthewsisoneofthedamndestidiotsonrecord.Hehadbettersticktocriticism;thereviewsonhisswindleofastoryareadisgracetojournalism’(L5,p.174);howHenleyrepliedtoMatthewsisnotknown HenryJames,StoriesRevived(1885) CharlesDickens,OurMutualFriend(1885?)         Skerryvorebookplate CharlesDickens,TheMysteryofEdwinDrood(1885?)         Skerryvorebookplate published1886 GeorgeBernardShaw,CashelByron’sProfession(1886)         recommendedbyWilliamArcher(perhapssentasagiftbyhim);seeRLS’senthusiasticlettertoArcherofMarch1886(L5,224–5) AndrewLang,LetterstoDeadAuthors(1886)         untraced;boughtbyStevensonhimself;seeletterfromRLStoLang,c.10March1886:Letterfrom[BournemouthtoAndrewLang,[c10Mar1886:‘ItreatedmyselftoyourDeadAuthors,bywayofanunbirthdaypresent;andIcanfancynonebetter.Ithinkitthebestthingyouhavedone,Ihavereaditonce,muchofittwice,andamnotyetdonereadingetc.’(L5,pp.226–7). AndrewLang,IntheWrongParadise:andotherStories(1886) ThomasHardy,TheMayorofCasterbridge(1886)         untraced;seeletterfromRLStoHardy,June1886:‘IhavereadTheMayorofCasterbridgewithsincereadmiration:Henchardisagreatfellow,andDorchesteristouchedinwiththehandofamaster.Doyouthinkyoucouldletmetrytodramatiseit?’(L5,p.259) AlfredTennyson,LocksleyHallSixtyYearsAfteretc.(1886)         possiblyacquiredlater EricSutherlandRobertson(ed.),TheChildrenofthePoets.AnAnthologyfromEnglishandAmericanWritersofThreeCenturies(1886)         soldatauction1914,untraced;possiblyapresentationcopy;RobertsonwasaLondon-basedScottishmanofletterswhoRLSprobablyknew _____ 3.FrenchandRussianliterature Excludingbooksknowntohavebeenacquiredandreadlater published1884 Dostoievsky,LeCrimeetlechatiment[CrimeandPunishment](1884)         seeletterLetterHenley,earlyNov1885:‘Dostoieffskyisofcoursesimplyimmense:itisnotreadingabook,itishavingabrainfever,toreaditetc.’(L5,p.151 Dostoievsky,Humiliésetoffensés[TheInsultedandtheInjured](1884)         seelettertoSymonds,earlyMarch1886:‘evenmoreincoherentthanLeCrimeetleChatiment;butbreathesthesamelovelygoodness,andhaspassagesofpower’(L5,pp.220–1) AlexandreDumas,LevicomtedeBragelonne(1884)         ‘Ihavenowjustrisenfrommylast(letmecallitmyfifth)perusal’,‘GossiponaNovelbyDumas’(1887) published1885 AlphonseDaudet,TartarinsurlesAlpes(1885)         possiblyacquiredlater AlexandreDumas,Latulipenoire(1885)         possiblyacquiredlater ErnestRenan,Dialoguesetfragmentsphilosophiques(1885)         possiblyacquiredlater JulesVerne,LaJangada:huitcentlieuessurl’Amazone(1885)         withinscription:‘Mrs.Osbourne’scopy—Eastham,BournemouthWest’;EasthamwasthenameofthehouseinBournemouthWest(exactlocationunknown,butsomewherenearSkerryvore)whereLloydwasaresidentpupiloftheRev.HenryJohnStorr(seeL4,p.41n),thoughhehadlefttogotoHyèresin1883andbylateFeb/earlyMarch1885hewasastudentatEdinburghUniversity(L5,p.80);perhapsFannylentthebookafterasocialvisit published1886 OctaveFeuillet,LaMorte(1886)         possiblyacquiredlater _____ 4.Otherbooksacquiredandread1884–87 ExcludingbooksboughtintheUSA,Sep-Dec1887 published1881 GeorgeMeredith,TheTragicComedians(1881).readonthetraintoLondonduringhisyearsinBournemouth(1884–87)asreportedbyWilliamSharp(LiteraryGeography(1904),20–23). published1884 MargaretStuart(Mrs.Calderwood),AlexanderFergusson(ed.),LettersandJournalsofMrs.CalderwoodofPolton,fromEngland,HollandandtheLowCountriesin1756,(1884)         soldatauction1914,untraced;Skerryvorebookplate;muchlocalcolourinchapters21–3ofCatrionacomesfromhere published1885 HoraceBengDobell,TheMedicalAspectsofBournemouthanditsSurroundings(1885) HenryBruceandDavidChalmers,MrGladstoneandthePaperDuties,byTwoMidlothianPaper-Makers(1885)         untraced,soldatauction1914;possiblyleftbehindatSkerryvorebyThomasStevenson WilliamKingdonClifford,TheCommonSenseoftheExactSciences(1885). CliffordwasafellowmemberoftheSavileClub,firstmetthroughSidneyColvininlateAugust1873(seethecontinuationof‘MemoirsofHimself’dictatedinSamoa,VailimaEdition,26(1926),235-236) JohnS.Keltie,AHistoryoftheScottishHighlands,HighlandClansandHighlandRegiments(1885) FulkeGreville,TheGrevilleMemoirs(SecondPart).AJournaloftheReignofQueenVictoriafrom1837to1852(1885)         soldatauction1914,untraced;Skerryvorebookplate;fortheplannedWellingtonbiography LeslieStephen,DictionaryofNationalBiography(1885–),earliestvolumes LadyAdelaideCadogan,IllustratedGamesofPatience(1885)         Skerryvorebookplate GustaveStrauss,PhilosophyintheKitchen:GeneralHintsonFoodsandDrinks.ByanOldBohemian(1885)         RLS’sSkerryvorevisitingcardasbookplate published/read1886 WilliamYouatt,TheDog(1886)         veterinarytreatise CharlesWarrenStoddard,SummerCruisingintheSouthSeas(1881)         Skerryvorebookplate;orignallypublishedin1873,thesameyearastheAmericanedition(withthetitleSouth-seaIdyls),whichStevensonalsopossessed(probablyagiftfromtheauthorinSanFranciscoin1880).Stevensonwasre-readingoneoftheseinFeb1886forthepurposeofchoosingextractsforaproposedanthologyofprosetobeselectedwithHenley(L5,pp.198,200,203) _____ Writtenbyrdury 27/07/2020at4:15pm PostedinNews TaggedwithBournemouth,DrJekyllandMrHyde,presentationcopies,RobertLouisStevenson,Skerryvore,Stevenson'sLibrary Stevenson’sBournemouth with8comments Version1.7 InspiredbyAndrewO’Hagan’srecentarticle,IhereprovidesomeadditionalinformationaboutStevenson’shouseinBournemouthandabouthistimethere.AnycontributionsandcorrectionstothefollowingcanbemadeintheCommentsandwillthenbeincorporatedandacknowledgedinanupdatedversionoftheposting. I.SkerryvoreinStevenson’sday RobertLouisStevenson’sfamoushouseofSkerryvore,wherehelivedfromApril1885toAugust1887,wasat61AlumChineRoadinWestbourne,onlyjustrecentlyincludedinBournemouth,andaboutahalfhour’swalkNWofthecentre.TravellingbytrainfromLondonWaterlooyouwenttoBournemouthstation,4kmawayattheeasternendoftown(thenearerBranksomestationwasbuiltlater).Thehouse,destroyedbyastrayWorldWarIIbomb,isnowreducedtolowwallstracingtheoutlinesofthehouseplan,setamidapublicpark. Fig.1.Skerryvoretoday:lineoftheofdrawingroomwallswithbay ButwhatwasitlikeinStevenson’sday? MichaelSteadofBournemouthLibrarieshasfoundplansfrom1880madeforthepreviousownerCaptainBestwhenthehousewasnamedSeaView.Thefollowingplans(Fig.2)haveSouth(andthegarden)atthetop,North(andtheroad)atthebottom: Fig.2.Skerryvore,1880additions,groundfloorplan(BournemouthLibrary) Fig.3.Skerryvore,1880additions,planandwestelevation(BournemouthLibrary) TheadditionsplannedinNovember1880(soprobablycarriedoutin1881)arecolouredred:theyconsistedofalargekitchenarea(withfloorsabove)andanadjoining‘verandaporch’withW.C.(Fig.3)andthenaseparatestableblockandcoachhousebetweenthehouseandtheroad(Fig.2). ThepathontheleftofFig.2leadingtothe‘yard’behindthekitchenwastheonetowhichHenryJames(mistakenforanexpectedcarpetdealer)wasdirectedtobythemaidValentineRochonhisfirstvisitinApril1885(L5:104). ————— Plansfrom1900(Fig.4)showfurtheradditionsmadeatthatdate:1.extensiveadditionstheNorthsideofthehouseincorporatingtheformerstableblockandaddingaseparatesmallbicyclehouse,andanadditionalbaywindowtotheSouthside.TheplansalsoshowthatasmallinfillextensionhasbeenbuiltatsometimeintheanglemadebytheoutsidewallsjustSouthoftheverandaporch. Fig.4.Skerryvore,1900(fromabookseller’scatalogue) ThebaywindowisshownintheSouthelevation‘NewBayFacingGarden’: Fig.5.Skerryvore:diningroombayaddition,1900 Photographsanddrawingswiththeadditionalbaythereforedatefromafter1900: Fig.6.Skerryvore,after1900 1.Entrance Inthe1880plan(Fig.7)theporchwasopenbutthiscouldhavebeenalteredduringconstructionorlater. Fig.7.Skerryvore,1880additions,veranda-porchandnewblockbehind(BournemouthLibrary) AdelaideBoodledescribesthefirstvisittothehousewithhermother:therewassomethingwrongwiththebell‘andinthathospitableporch,allpreparedwithseats,wehadtowaitforseveralminutesandfinallytopullasecondtime’(Boodle,6). WilliamArcherin1887refersto tthelittleporchverandaenclosedwithwirenetting,themodelinSkerryvoregraniteofSkerryvorelight,designedtoserveasalamptothisvestibule[…]Behinditisapanelledwall,thedivisionsofwhichareintimetobefilledupwithmuralpaintingsbytheartistswhoareamongthemostfrequentguestsatSkerryvore.Someofthepanelsarealreadyoccupied—twoatleastbythepleasantlandscape-workofMrH.R.Bloomer,theAmericanpainter,oneofMrStevenson’soldestfriends[…].Archer,qu.Terry,106 (SoBloomer,thenlivinginChelsea(L5:356),musthavemadeanotherwiseunrecordedvisittoBournemouth.)Archersaysthatthepanelledwallwithpaintedpanelswas‘behindit’—thiscouldmeanbehindthemodellighthouse,butthatwouldmeanthepanelswouldbeexposedtotheelements,ormoreprobablybehindtheporchveranda,i.e.behindthefrontdoorandinthehallorvestibulewiththestaircase. AphotographtakenafterStevenson’stime(Fig.8)showstheporchclosedbyawoodenscreen,theupperhalfapparentlyglazed. Fig.8.Entranceporchpost-1880withcornerinfilltotheright Perhapsthesquaresintheupperporchfaçade,iftheyexistedinStevenson’stime,werefilledbyArcher’swirenettingin1885.Thenettingwaspresumablytokeepoutbirds—butthiswouldonlyworkiftherewasadoorthatcouldbeclosedandwhichmustopenandhiddeninthephotograph. 2.Diningroom Thetworoomsatthegarden(south)sideoftheoriginalhousewerethediningroom,ontheleftinthetwoplansabove(Fig.2and4);andontherightadrawingroom(withabaywindowfacingthegarden). ThediningroomhadafireplaceontheNorthside(Fig.4).Thedecoroftheroomin1887isdescribedbyStevenson’sfriendWiliamArcher,afrequentguestatSkerryvore: OverthefireplaceisanengravingofTurner’s‘BellRockLighthouse’,builtbyStevenson’sgrandfather.AnotherwallisadornedbytwoofPiranesi’sgreatRomanetchings,betweenwhichhangstheconventionalportraitofShelley(agiftfromhisson,SirPercyShelley[…]),withunderitaportraitofMaryWolstonecraft.Archer,qu.Terry,106 Fig.9.W.M.Turner,‘BellRockLighthouseDuringaStorm’,engravedbyJ.Horsburgh(LibraryofCongress) Fig.10.GiovannaBattistaPiranesi,‘TombofCeciliaMetella’,notnecessarilytheprintownedbyStevenson(L4,p.265),asPiranesididseveralviewsofthetomb ————— Whichroomwastheblueroom?Archergoesontomention‘theVenetianmirror,presentedtothepoetbythat“PrinceofMen,HenryJames”‘andhequotesthepoembyStevensonwhichreferstoitasoppositethefireplaceinthe‘blueroom’.ThisleadsustoaproblembecauseArchersaysspecificallythatthemirrorandotheritemsofdecorsofarmentionedare‘inthe“blueroom”[…].ItisanordinaryEnglishdining-room’(qu.Terry,106).HoweverIfwecomparedetailsoftwoofSargent’sportraitsofStevenson: Fig.11.DetailsofSingerSargentportraitsofStevenson:A.1885(Fig.16),B.1887(Fig.18) Fromthediscussionofthesetwoportraitsbelow,itisclearthatA.,whichfromtheviewthroughtotheentrance-hallcanonlybethediningroom,haswallspaintedpompeianred,whileB.,whichfromthefurnishingcanonlybethedrawingroom,haswallspaintedcornflowerblue.Henceitisthedrawingroomthatmusthavebeencalledthe‘blueroom’whilethediningroomwasprobablycalledthe‘redroom’. SinceStevensonplacestheVenetianmirrorinthe‘blueroom’inhispoem,thatisdefinitelywhereitwasin1886,i.e.inthedrawingroom.ArcherhasnotonlyconfusedthecolourschemeofthetworoomsbuthasplacedinthediningroomamirrorthatwascertainlyinthedrawingroominFebruaryandMarch1886(seebelowandL5:210,222–3).Itisofcoursepossiblethatitwasmovedtothediningroomlater,butfrompracticalknowledgeofhowpeopletendnottochangeroomdecor,oneshouldassumethatitstayedinthedrawingroomandthatArcherisconfusingthetworooms. Andthemostlikelysourceofhisconfusionisthefactthattherewasanotheranddistinctlydifferentmirrorinthediningroom.Thiswasaconvexmirror,possiblyalsooppositethefire,butnotJames’spresent,asStevensonsaysinaletteroflateJuly1885,‘Wehaveboughtaconvexmirrorforthediningroom’(L5:122).Thisconfusionofmirrors,plusthepoemthatlocatesJames’smirrorintheblueroomisperhapstheoriginofthemix-up.Ifso,Archer’sdescriptionofotheritemsinthediningroomisgoingtobereliable. Fig.12.Convexmirror,RLSMuseum,Samoa(seeNotesattheendofthepost) Archercontinuesthatbelowthemirror(i.e.theconvexmirror,possiblyonthewalloppositethefireplace)were‘buccaneeringweapons[…],someofwhichwerepresentedtoMrStevensonashavingbelongedtoPewandLongJohnSilver’.Oneofthese,perhapsthefirst,was‘LongJohnSilver’s’pistolgiventoStevensonbyHenley’sbrotherJoeasabirthdaypresentinNovember1884(L5:31).ThentherewerephotographsofSidneyColvinandSirHenryTaylor;anetchingbyStevenson’sfriendWillLow;awatercolourofthenearbyNewForestbyHenley’sbrotherAnthony;andsomeprizedbluechina.Inhislaterdescriptionofthedrawingroom(see‘2.Drawingroom’below),ArcherspecificallyrefersbacktothephotoofColvininthediningroom. ————— InwhichroomwasthephototakenofStevensonlookingupfromwriting?Thewell-knownwritingportraitphotographof1885wastakeninfrontofabaywindow,ofwhichtherewerethreeinStevenson’sday:ontheeastwallofthediningroom,onthesouthwallofthedrawingroom,andonthesamewallofthefloorabove,nodoubtamasterbedroom.(Thesouthbaywindowofthediningroomshowninthe1900plansdidnotexistinStevenson’sday).Butwhichroomwasit?ifwecomparetheproportionsofthelowerpartofthecentralwindowinthephotograph(Fig.13) Fig.13.Stevenson,Skerryvore1885 withtheSouthelevationdrawingfrom1900(Fig.14), Fig.14.SkerryvoreSouthelevationbaywindows(fromFig,4):A.bedroom,B.drawingroom,C.diningroom itisclearthatitisnotthebedroom(A),andsincethesouthbayofthediningroom(C)didnotexist,itiseitherthedrawingroom(B)ortheeastbayofthediningroom,forwhichnoelevationhasyetbeenfound.Wecanexcludethedrawingroomwindows(B)asdecidedlynarrowerthanthoseofthephotograph,whichleavestheeastdiningroombay.Itispossiblethatthelatersouthbay(C)wasmodelledonthis,andheretheproportionsarecertainlycloserthantothenarrowerdrawingroomwindows.Inaddition,Stevensonisnotwritingataworkdeskbutwhatcouldwellbeadiningroomtable.WilliamArchertellsusthatthediningroomhadSheritonfurnituretakenoverfromthepreviousowner,sothiscouldpossiblybeaSheritondiningtablesuchasthefollowing: Fig.15.Sheritondiningtable(later18thcent.) Itseems,therefore,thatthephotowastakeninthediningroomwiththeeastbaywindowinthebackground. ————— InwhichroomdidStevensondohiswriting?Unfortunately,fromthesizeofthepaper,StevensoninthefamousphotomustbewritingaletterandnotDrJekyllandMrHyde.Howeverweknowthathewrotemostofthisandotherworksinbedoranywayinhisbedroom:hisstepsonsaidthat‘camedowntoluncheon’afterwritingallmorning,andthefamilyoccasionallysawhim‘sittingupinbed,writing,writing,writing,withthecounterpanelitteredwithhissheets’(Osbourne,62,66).Ofalltheroomsinthehousehisbedroomwasmostprobablytheroomabovethedrawingroom,withitsbaywindowandaglimpseofthesea. IfwevisitthesiteofSkerryvoretoday,thestonesmightatfirstseemuneloquent,butweneedtousealittleimagination,standinthespacebehindthesouth-westbaywindowwherethedrawingroomwas(easytoidentify),andthinkhardthatitwasinthebedroomabovethisthatStevensonwrotetwomasterpiecesbothpublishedin1886,DrJekyllandMrHydeandKidnapped. ————— WherewasSargent’swalkingportraitpainted?OneofSingerSargent’sfamouspaintingsofStevensonatSkerryvoreshowshimandFannyattheotherendofthediningroom. Fig.16.JohnSingerSargent,‘RobertLouisStevensonandhisWife’(1885);Fannyissittingin‘HenryJames’sChair’thathadbelongedtoStevenson’sgrandfather(nowintheRLSMuseum,StHelena)(CrystalBridgesMuseumofAmericanArt) Ifwecomparethiswiththerelevantpartofthe1900plans(Fig.17,hereturnedwithpartofthediningroomatthebottom),wecanseethatwhatisvisiblethroughthedooratthebackofSargent’spictureisthehallwaywiththestaircaseand,atthefarend,thehalf-glazeddoortotheentranceporch. Fig.17.Skerryvore,partofdiningroom,hallwaywithstairsanddoortoverandaporch 3.Drawingroom Itwasinthedrawingroomthatthereweretheunconventionalwickerworkarmchairs(andanunusualrug)andalargeoakencabinetasshownintheSargentseatedportrait(Fig.18). Fig.18.JohnSingerSargent,‘RobertLouisStevenson’(1887)(TaftMuseumofArt) Fannydescribes‘asidewall’(possiblythewestwall)ofthedrawingroominaletterofFebruary1886accompaniedbyasketch: Fig.19.‘sidewall’ofthedrawingroom,Feb1886 Amagicmirrorhascometouswhichseemstoreflectnotonlyourownplainfacesbutthekindlyoneofafriendentwinedinthemidstofallsortsofpleasantmemories.[…]Theabove,asyouwillreadilyperceive,isthepresentaspectofthesidewallofourdrawingroom,correctlyandcarefullydrawn.MissTaylor’sbeautifulwork,MrLemon’sadorablepictureofhorses,themagicmirror,Sargent’spictureofLouis,andthecopyofChatterton.FannyStevenson,JointletterwithRLS,25Feb1886(L5,p.210). (ClearlyFannyhadtriedunsuccessfullytosketchthepictureofChattertonandthenblackeditout.) Fig.20.squareVenetianmirror Stevenson’swroteJamesapoem,tothankhimforthegiftandsentitinaletterof7March1886(L5:222-3).Itincludesthelines TothesparklingfireIfaceIntheblueroomatSkerryvore‘TheMirrorSpeaks’,Underwoods Thisshowsthattheremusthavebeenafireplaceinthedrawingroom,notshownontheplansabove.Ifthemirrorwasonthewestwall,thethefireplacewasontheeast. ————— Archer’s1887descriptionofthedrawingroom.In1887WilliamArcherdescribesotheritemsofdecor(itemsplacedinboldhereforthereader’sconvenience): Itisnotencumberedwithsuperfluousfurniture[…]Halfwayalongonesideoftheroomrunsalowdivanformedofaseriesofoakboxescoveredwithyellowsilkcushions.Loungingchairs,mainlyoflightwickerwork,arescatteredabout,andalargeoakencabinetstandsbesidehedoor.ItissurmountedbyabeautifulgroupinplasterexecutedasanillustrationtooneofVictorHugo’spoemsbytheFrenchsculptorRodin[…].ThisgroupisflankedbyacoupleofgrinningBurmesegods;and,perhapstocounteracttheinfluencesoftheseuncannydeities,aCatholicdevotionalimageofancientdatestandsinanoppositecorner.Overthecabinet,again,hangsabeautiful‘LandscapewithHorses’byMrArthurLemon,withaphotographofthelateProf.FleemingJenkintotherightofitandoneofMrW.E.Henleytotheleft,bothbeing,likethephotographofMrColvininthedining-room,theworkofaprivatefriend.Fromanotherwall,MrJohnE.Sargent’s[sic,JohnSingerSargent]half-grotesqueyetspeakingportraitofMrStevensonhimselflooksoutatuslivingly.Itrepresentshimpacingnoiselesslyupanddownthisveryroom[actuallythediningroom,seeabove][…].UnderneaththisquaintlittlepicturehangsacopybyMissUnaTaylor[…]ofwhatpurportstobeanauthenticportraitofChatterton,withhardbyitanimposingpieceofflower-embroidery,framedandglazed,bythesameaccomplishedlady.Overthedivansomecuriouslittlewood-cuts[…]arepinnedtothewall.Theyillustrateacertainmoralballadofaconvertedpirate,andaretheworkofMrStevensonhimself[…].(Terry,pp.107–8) Fig.20.Rodin,L’éternelprintemps(fromthe1914AndersonsaleofStevenson’sMSS,booksandartefacts(Lot484)withadedicationtakenfromRodin’sletteraddedbyRLStothebase Fig.21.ArthusLemon,painting(nottheonefromSkerryvore;seebelow) Fig.22.from‘RobandBen,orThePirateandtheApothecary’(inRobertLouisStevenson,MoralTales) TheSargentportraitoverUnaTaylor’spictureofChattertonandherflowerembroiderynearbyagreewithFanny’sdescriptionfromFebruary1886,butArthurLemon’slandscapewithhorseshasbeenmovedoverthecabinetonanotherwall.PresumablytheVenetianmirrorwasalsotherein1887andonthesamewallfacingthefire. ————— TheArthurLemonpainingofhorsesisnowattheRLSMuseumatSt.Helena,California. Fanny‘wasnearlyalwaystobefoundafterluncheon’intheBlueRoom(Boodle,13). Ifanyreaderknowsofillustrationsandpresentwhereaboutsofanyoftheitemsfromthediningordrawingroom,pleaseaddacommentaboutitandtheinformationwithacknowledgementswillbeaddedtotheposting. 4.Stable Another1880-1additionwasthestableblockandyard.Thestableroofhadapicturesquefeature:whatlookslikealouveredbelfrytoppedbyaconical‘cap’andaweathervane.AdelaideBoodletellsusthatthestableswerenotused(p.1),sotheStevensonswerenot‘carriagefolk’.Thestableyardwas‘ashelteredlittleplace,pavedwithredbrick’(p.15),laterdedicatedtoFanny’scultivationoftomatoes‘atthatdateverylittlecultivatedinEngland’(p.115) Fig.23.Skerryvore,1880additions,stableblock(BournemouthLibrary) Thestableblockcanbeseeninaphotographdatedto1898(Fig.24,fromO’Hagan)withbehinditathree-storeyblockbuiltafterStevenson’stime,butnotyetlinkedtotheoriginalhouseasintheplansof1900(Fig.4). Fig.24.Skerryvore1898 II.Stevenson’sBournemouth ThissectiondealswiththeotherhouseswhereStevensonlivedinBournemouthandthehousesofhisBournemouthfriends(thepeopledescribedbyAndrewO’HaganinhisLRBarticle). Fig.25.Stevenson’sBournemouthtoenlarge,right-clickandchooseViewImage 1.Stevenson’sBournemouthresidences 12–19July1884:theHighcliffeMansionsHotel,alargenewmodernhotelontheclifftopopenedin1872;nowtheBournemouthHighcliffMarriottHotel,105StMichael’sRoad.19Julytoc.16September1884:SunningtonRise,aboardinghouseonWestCliffGardens.c.16Sept–5Nov1884:Wensleydale,‘oneofatallrowoflodging-housesontheWestCliffofBournemouth[WestCliffGardens],overlookingthesandsbelow,andwithaglorioussparklingviewoftheNeedlesandtheIsleofWight’(Osbourne,51).Theexactlocationofthesetwoboardinghouseshasnotbeenascertained,butthere’sagoodchancethatthehousesstillexistastherearenumerousVictorianhousesalongthestreet.InthesefirstresidencesnearthecentreofBournemouthStevensonwasbusywritingplaysincollaborationwithHenley.5November1884toearlyMay(29Apr–earlyApril)1885:BonallieTower,arecentlybuiltfurnishedhouseonBurtonRoadinBranksomePark,anareaofscatteredhousesamongpinetreesjustwestofBournemouth;thehouse(laterrenamed‘Blythswood’)wasdemolishedinthe1970sandthesiteofBoanllieTowerwillbeunderthegaragesofwhatisnow‘Lissenden’,1BurtonRoad.Nophotographsseemtohavesurvived,thoughLawrencePopplewellsays‘Thesurvivingpropertynextdoor[atNo.3]wasprobablyalmostidentical(withoutthetower)andprobablybythesamebuilder”(DorsetEcho).(Fig.25,drawnbeforetheinformationfromPopplewell,showsthehouseonthecorrectsideofthestreetbuttoofarsouth:itwasthesecondhousefromthenorthendofthestreet.)Herehewrote‘Markheim’,‘AHumbleRemonstrance’and‘OnStyleinLiterature’,finishedwriting‘TheDynamiter’incollaborationwithFannyandcontinuedwritingplayswithHenley.EarlyApril1885to20August1887:SeaView,immediatelyrenamedSkerryvore,boughtbyThomasStevensonasaweddinggiftforFanny.HerehewrotehisMemoirofFleemingJenkin,StrangeCaseofDrJekyllandMrHyde,‘TheMisadventuresofJohnNicholson’,‘Olalla’,Kidnapped,andpublishedAChild’sGardenofVerses,TheMerryMenandOtherTalesandFables,UnderwoodsandMemoriesandPortraits.Thesewere,asO’Hagansays,‘thebestyearsofhiswritinglife’. Dating: arr.evening12July(Letters5:1–2)arr.19July(Letters5:3n6)residenthereforVisitors’Directoryfor17Sept;firstletteraddressedfromhere28Sept(Letters5:7)firstletterdatedfromhere5Nov1884(Letters5:19)8AprRLS’sparentsmovedintolodgings“tobeoutofthewayoftheflitting”;13AprilHenleywrote:‘”Ihopeandtrustyou[…]arewellthroughthehorrorsofflitting”‘(Letters5:104):However,stillres.in4.forVisitors’Directoryof29Apr(withSeaViewunoccupied);res.in5.forVD6MaywherenamealreadySkerryvore).TheypossiblyhadrentedBonalieTowersforsixmonthsfrom5Nov.1884to5May1885butmovedinthefirsthalfofApril. 2.Anetworkoffriends HenryJamesarrivedinBournemouthon18April1885tobenearhissicksisterandstayedatStAlbansCliffboardinghouseinSouthCliffRoad(wherenowtheBICconferencecentreis;theexactlocationofthehouseonmapsoftheperiodhasnotbeenfound).HefirstcametocallattheendofAprilandthencame‘everyeveningafterdinner’(L5:104),walkingtherefromthecentreoftownjustunderhalfanhouraway.WhenheleftBournemouthattheendofJuneaftertenweeksoffrequentvisits,bothLouisandFannyfelthisabsencekeenly(L5:120). SirHenryandLadyTaylorwiththeirtwodaughtersIdaandUnalivednearthecentreoftownat‘TheRoost’,avillainHintonRoad(sincedemolishedandtheexactlocationnotyetascertained).InMay1885theybeganaclosefriendshipwiththeStevensons,followinganintroductionbyWilfredMeynell,whoStevensonknewthroughtheSavileClub(L5:109).TheTaylorswerealsofriendsoftheShelleys. SirPercyShelleyandhiswifelivedatthegrandmansionofBoscombePlace,6kmaway,halfwaybetweenBournemouthandChristchurch,2.5kmontheeasternsideofthecentreofBournemouth.NodoubttheysenttheircarriagetopickuptheStevensonswhentheyweretovisit. AdelaideBoodle,26yearsold,livedwithherparentsonthePooleRoadinahousecalledLostockonthecornerofthesemicircularSeamoorRoad(inFig.20itisplacedonthewesterncorner,butitcouldhavebeenontheeasterncorner.)SheheardthenewsthatawritercalledStevenson(andthoughtitmustbetheStevensonwhohadwrittenAnInlandVoyageand‘TheTreasureofFranchard’),nowlivinginBonallieTower,wasabouttomovetoahouseevenclosertohers.Shepersuadedhermothertojoinheronaformalcalltothenewhouseinthespringof1884,andfoundtheStevensonsstillunpackingaftermovingin.Asshewasinterestedinwritingsometimelatershepluckedupthecouragetoaskifitwouldbepossibletohavelessons.Fannyatfirstdidthistosaveherhusbandthestrain,butthenLouistookover.AninterestingrecordofStevenson’steachingsisgiveninherlatermemoirR.L.S.andhisSineQuaNon.AsshewalkeddownMiddleRoad(nowRobertLouisStevensonAvenue)shewouldseeSkerryvoreaheadofherattheendofthestreet. Inadditiontolocalfriends,theStevensonshadmanyvisitsfromfamilyandLondonfriends,sometimesbeingunabletoaccommodatethemallatSkerryvore:Stevenson’sparents,cousinBobSteveneonandhiswife,Bob’ssisterKatherineDeMattosandchildren,W.E.Henley,CharlesBaxter,SidneyColvin,MrsFleemingJenkin,‘Coggie’Ferrier(sisterofhisclosefriendJamesWalterFerrierwhodiedtragicallyyoung),JohnSingerSargent,JamesSully,WilliamArcher,ArthurMeredith,andothers(FannyStevenson,xvi–xvii;BalfourII,7-9;Boodle,98). SkerryvoremarkedtheendofStevenson’sBohemianyears.AfterhishappyyearsinHyères,inBournemouthhewasoftenseriouslyillandconfinedtothehouse,butheproducedmasterpieces,hadtheenthusiasmtostudyandwritemusic,andthe‘eveningsofinteresting,clever,andbrillianttalkwereamongstthepleasantestexperiences’ofhislife(FannyStevenson,xvii).Itwas,perhaps,‘thetimeofhislife’. AlthoughLloydclaimedthatStevensonneverspokeaboutSkerryvorewithregret(Osbourne,59),inDecember1889hewrotetoColvinthatwithhisEdinburghhomenowemptyitwasColvin’sapartmentintheBritishMuseumthatwashomeforhim,though‘somepassingthoughtstheremaybeoftheroomsatSkerryvoreandtheblackbirdsinthechineonaMaymorning’. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSANDNOTES ThankstoMichaelSteadofBournemouthLibrarieswhofoundthe1880Skerryvoreplansandthensharedthemwithme.ThanksalsotoRogerSwearingenforinformationonitemsintheRLSMuseum,StHelena,California.ThankstoMafaldaCippolonefortheimagesofStevenson’sRodinsculpture,ofaconvexmirrorandofalandscapewithhorsesbyArthurLemon;asRogerSwearingensays,theactualpaintingandperhapsthemirrorshouldnowbeintheRLSMuseum,StHelena.TheconvexmirrorintheRLSMuseum,Vailima,isprobablynotStevenson’sbutisplacedtheretoreproducethefurnishinginStevenson’stime.ThankstoNeilMacaraBrownforindicatinganotherbooksellerofferingthe1900plansforsale. WORKSCITED WilliamArcher,‘RobertLouisStevensonat“Skerryvore”‘,Critic,5Nov1887,225–7;repr.inpartinR.C.Terry,RobertLouisStevenson:InterviewsandRecollections(IowaCity:UniversityofIowaPress,1996),106–8. GrahamBalfour,TheLifeofRobertLouisStevenson.,2vols(London:Methuen,1901). AdelaideBoodle,R.L.S.andhisSineQuaNon(London:JohnMurray,1926). BradfordA.BoothandErnestMehew,TheLettersofRobertLouisStevenson,8vols(NewHaven:YaleUniversityPress,1995),vol.5. AndrewO’Hagan,‘TheBournemouthSet’,LondonReviewofBooks,42.10(May2020),availableonline. LloydOsbourne,AnIntimatePortraitofR.L.S(NewYork:CharlesScribner’sSons,1924). LawrencePopplewell,TheSearchforBonallieTower:RLSinBranksomePark(Bournemouth:MelledgenPress,1996,rev.ed.2002).Notseen.Forareportonthebooksfindings,see‘HouseDetective’,DorsetEcho21June2005. FannyVandergriftStevenson,‘PrefatoryNote’,inRobertLouisStevenson,TheStrangeCaseofDrJekyllandMrHyde;Fables(London:Heinemann(TusitalaEdition),1924),xv–xviii. Writtenbyrdury 18/06/2020at7:13pm PostedinNews TaggedwithBiography,Bournemouth,RobertLouisStevenson,Skerryvore WritingExplanatoryNotes /2 leaveacomment» Understanding(through)Annotations,15thInternationalConnotationsSymposiumJuly28–August1,2019,EberhardKarlsUniversityTübingen(Germany) ThefollowingnotesonpapersofinteresttoEdRLSaretakenfromthebookofabstracts. DavidFishelov,‘AnnotatingSatiricalTextsandItsLimitations:ExemplifiedbySwift’sGulliver’sTravels’.Thistalktacklestheproblemofwhetherprovidingclosecontemporarycontextcangotoofar,turningthetextintoahistoricaldocument. Iwillargueinmypaperthatbyanchoringcertaintextualelementsofsatiricaltextsinaspecifichistoricalcontext,theseannotationstaketheriskofnarrowingthesemanticpotentialitiesandtheuniversalappealoftheseelements.Iwillfurtherarguethattheeffectivenessofsatiricaltextsliesultimatelyintheirabilitytotranscendtheconcretehistoricalcircumstancesoftheircomposition.Effectivesatiricaltextsconstantlymovebetweenthetopical,theuniversalandthefantastic,andweshouldbecarefulnottopaytoomuchattentiontotopicalreferencesfoundindetailedannotations,lestweturnaneffectivesatireintoahistoricaldocument. LenaLinneandBurkhardNiederhoff,‘AgainstInterpretation:AnnotatingLiteratureasanEmbeddedTextualPractice’.Thistalkarguesforrestraintinannotation Notesshouldfacilitateratherthaninterfere,supportratherthaninterrupt.Theyshouldenablereaderstofindtheirowninterpretationsinsteadofimposingaparticularinterpretationonthem.AviolationoftheseprinciplescanbefoundinRogerLuckhurst’snoteonthesceneinDrJekyllandMrHydeinwhichEdwardHydecollideswithagirlandthencalmlywalksoverher.Luckhurstsuggeststhatthisisanallegoryofsexualintercourseor,morespecifically,ofchildprostitution.Thisnoteissuperfluousorevenmisleadingfortworeasons.First,anyreadermightarriveattheFreudianinterpretationhim-orherself.Second,thenotedetractsfromanattentiveliteralreadingofthepassagewhichismoreinterestingandoriginalthantheallegoricalone.Inourtalk,wewouldliketoexaminethreerecenteditionsofStevenson’snovellabyLuckhurst(World’sClassics),KatherineLinehan(Norton)andRichardDury(EdizioniC.I.Genova)todistinguishnecessaryandhelpfulnotesfromsuperfluousandmisleadingonesandtofleshouttheprinciplesofan-notationasanembeddedtextualpractice. [IfearthattheDuryeditionwillprovideagoodexampleofexcessiveannotation.—RD] MarcusWalsh,‘AnnotatingAlexanderPopeforOxford:TheoryandPractice’.AGeneralEditoroftheplanned24-volumeOxfordeditionofAlexanderPopeaddressespracticalandtheoreticalissuesofannotationwithreferencetohissectiononAnnotationforthe‘EditorialGuidelines’. Ishallconsiderinparticular:Thenatureandrangeofourassumedaudience(‘scholarsandinformedmodernreaders,includingtheableundergraduate’),anditsconsequencesforourpractice;Theapproachtakeninoureditiontolinguistic,literary,political,personal,andculturalcontexts;Ourapproachtotherelationofcommentarytointerpretation,includingtheselectionofcontextualisinginformation,theillustrationandexplanationofallusions,andthenecessityandvalueoflexicalnotes. ManfredMalzahn,‘“Let’sdoittothembeforetheydoittous”:Self-AnnotationinScottishLiterature’.Atalkaboutthefunctionofself-annotationintexts. IintendtopresentanddiscusssamplesoffootnotesandglossariestotextsbyauthorssuchasWalterScott,RobertLouisStevensonorLewisGrassicGibbon,inwhichelementsofScots—whetherseenasnationallanguageorasdialect—areembeddedinstandardEnglish. SeealsoWritingExplanatoryNotes. Writtenbyrdury 30/07/2019at5:23pm PostedinNews Taggedwith15thInternationalConnotationsSymposium,Annotation,Connotations:aJournalforCriticalDebate,EberhardKarlsUniversityTübingen,ExplanatoryNotes,RobertLouisStevenson,ScholarlyEditions Stevenson’sDavidBalfour:aneweditioneditedfromtheMSbyBarry Menikoff withonecomment   RobertLouisStevenson’sDavidBalfour,theoriginaltext,editedwithanintroductionandnotesbyBarryMenikoff(SanMarino,CA:HuntingtonLibrary,ArtCollections,andBotanicalGardens,2016). 1.Samplepages 2.Editorialprinciplesandpractices Thepresentpostingaimstobeinformative,notareview.ThefollowingwillbeofinteresttootherEdRLSeditors.Wemaynotalwaysfollowexactlythesamepractices,butitisalwaysinterestingtoseehowsomeoneelsedoesit. 1.Stevenson’schangesareassimilatedwithoutcomment.DeletedearlierwordingsarenotgenerallyrecordedintheNotes,thoughafacsimilepageonp.236enablesustoseethatthefaircopymanuscripthadafinaldeletedsentence: Forthelifeofmanuponthisworldofoursisafunnybusiness.Theytalkoftheangelsweeping;butIthinktheymustmoreoftenbeholdingtheirsidesastheylookon;andtherewasonethingIdeterminedtodowhenIbeganthislongstory,andthatwastotellouteverythingasitbefell. 2.Correctionsaresilentlymadeofspellingandapostropheuse,andsuperscriptlettershavebeendropped.Howevernotallspellingsaregivenstandardform,e.g.‘falsness’(p.41)(markedbytheOED asfoundonlyuptothe16C). Therearealsoformssuchas‘dis-cretion’(p.115),whichshowsthatthehandwrittenlinebetween‘s’andaletterwithleft-facingbowl(c,d,g,oorq)hasbeeninterpretedasahyphen.[ForEdRLS,thesemarkshavebeeninterpretedasanon-significantlinkline;seethispostintheblogandthisoneforadiscussion.Barrydefendshisviewinoneofthecommentstoanotherpost]. 3.Unchangedareidiosyncraticcapitalizationofwordsnotusuallycapitalized(e.g.‘aSoftTommy’),andthereversecase(latin,dutch,christian),inmanycasevaryingbetweenthetwousages(dukeandDuke)as‘thisusageissopervasiveintheautograph,andposesnoimpedimenttoreading’(p.lxvi).Wethereforehave‘TamDale’and‘Tamdale’inthefirstparagraphof‘TheTaleofTodLapraik’(p.107).Tobehonest,Imustadmitthisdidnotcausemeanyproblemsinreading—andneitherdidexampleslike‘IkennaeFrenchandnaedutch’(p.106). [This,likeothereditorialchoices,isanareawhereeacheditorhastodecideonewayoranotheraccordingtotheaimsoftheedition.Menikoffgivesuswhattheauthorwrote,whileEdRLS(conservatively)emendsMStexts—actingaspublisherinawayacceptedrepeatedlybytheauthorinothercases.] 3.ApartfromsupplyingmissingperiodsandquestionmarksStevenson’spunctuationhasnotbeenchanged,e.g.acomma,semicolonorquestionmarksfollowedbyadash,questionmarksfollowedbyalower-caseletter.Whenpunctuating‘[t]heobjective[forStevenson]wastoreproducethoughtprocessesandheightenedconversationinformally,withoutslowingitdownwitharbitrarystopsandformalnewsentences’(p.lxxv). [InEdRLStranscribedtextswehavesometimessuppliedamissingcommathatissocommon(e.g.before‘isn’tit?’)astobeconsideredcodifiedandthatwouldalmostcertainlybeprovidedbyaprinter.Presumablythishappenedheretoo.] 4.Stevenson’ssubstantivemistakesarenotcorrected;Iamthinkinghereofthefirstparagraphof‘TheTaleofTodLapraik’:‘therewerewhileswhentheybuttofishandshootsolansfortheirdiet’—’theybut’doesn’tseemright,averbseemstobemissing.(Thesentenceisidenticalinalleditions,however.Cananyonesolvethisproblem?) 5.ExplanatoryNotes:thesearebrief;theylogallthecitationsofDavidBalfourintheOED,SLDandEDD(EnglishDialectDictionary);mostusefully,theyindicateomissionsinthefirstprintededitionsandalsoquoteinfullnewpassagessuppliedbyStevensonforthebookeditionatColvin’srequest. 6.References:BeineckereferencestolettersnotbyRLSarebydateand McKaynumbers,e.g.‘July13,1892,BeineckeLibrary(B4219),YaleUniversity’. 3.DifferencesbetweentheMSandthefirstprintededitions Intheeditorialpartofthevolume,thepreparationofthefirstprintededitionisdiscussedonlybriefly(thoughthereisareferencetoMenikoff’sarticle‘TowardstheProductionofaText:Time,Space,andDavidBalfour‘inStudiesintheNovel27.3(1995)).ItismentionedintheIntroduction(‘TheLonelyTrialsofDavidBalfour’)onpp.xliii-xliv,andp.xlvi(‘Colvinhadhishandonthemanuscriptandinhisfashionexcisedanumberofchoiceexpressionsandincidents.Thesehavebeenrestoredandappearforthefirsttimeinthisedition’).Thesubjectreturnsagaininthe‘NoteontheText’,pp.lxiv-lxv,whichdiscusses‘absurdcutting’,‘deliberatecensorship’and‘mangledphrases’.Thelatterisillustratedbyhow‘thewarslingofthesea[andthebreachingofthesprays]’intheMS(ch.22)becomesamis-reading,‘thesailingofthesea’,inAtalantaand‘thewhistlingofthewind’(ch.22)intheCassell’sbookedition.AsthelattercannotbeamisreadingoftheMS,itwasachangepresumablymadeinproofs,thoughwedon’tknowbywhom.However,as‘whistlingofthewind’issomuchweakerthan‘warslingofthesea’,itjustmighthavebeenmadebyColvin,goingtopress,unabletodeciphertheMS,andunabletogetareplyfromStevensoninlessthantwomonths,perhapsincludedintheproofs,butnotpickedupbyStevenson.ThankstoMenikoff’swork,itcouldbeagoodcaseforemendationinanyeditionofthetext.SimilardifferencesbetweenMSandprintededition(‘innocency’and‘indifferency’intheMSbecoming‘innocence’and‘indifference’)arealsonoted,thoughwecannottellifthechangewasmadebyStevensonornot(thoughprobablynot). ThenotescontainsignificantdifferencesbetweenthemanuscriptandtheperiodicalandCassellpublicationsandalso‘foursummaryparagraphsthatarenotinthemanuscriptorAtlantabutthatStevensonwroteforthebookatColvin’surging’(p.lxiv). ChangestosinglewordsinCassell1893 TogiveanideaofthenumberofchangesbetweenMSandfirstbookedition,herearethesignificantdifferencesgiveninthenotestothefirsttwochapters(pp.1-15),setoutasforatextualapparatuswiththeMSreadingontheleftandprintedvariantsontheright(aswungdashstandingforwordsidenticalinMSandprintededition): p.2Thencetoanarmourer’s,whereIgotastout,plainsword,tosuitwithmydegreeinlife(MSandAtl)]~aplainsword~(Cassell) p.2cla’es(MS)]claes(Atl,Cassell) p.10Getashipforhim,quothhe!(MSandAtl)]~quo’he(Cassell) Goingbythissample,theprintedtextsareveryclosetothemanuscriptandallthreechangescouldwellbetheauthor’ssecondthoughtsexpressedontheproofsofthebookedition: theomissionof‘stout’couldbeauthorial:Davidwantsa‘walkingsword’toshowhisstatus,it’snotintendedforfightingsodoesnotneedittobe‘stout’; claescouldbeseenasaacknowledgingthewordasanindependentScotsform,notanEnglishwordwith‘th’missing.Asthenotesays‘Thereisnootherforminthe DSL‘,i.e.theScottishnationaldictionaryusesonlytheformwithoutanapostrophe; thechangetoquo’couldbeseenasachangetoamoreScotsform(theDSLheadwordisquo).BothDSLandOEDactuallygivetheforminthisquotationfromDavidBalfourasquot’,notfoundinanyotheroftheircitations,althoughthereisalsoacommonScotsformquod.ItispossiblethatStevenson’squot’(ifthisistheformusedinCassell)isavariantonquod—Stevenson’sattempttodiscourageapronunciationof‘quodhe’as‘quodee‘andasuggestionthatinScotsusethe‘d’wasavoicelessflapofthetongue(likeUSEnglishpronunciationofthe‘t’inutter).Inanycase,itdoesseemachangetoamoreScotsform. ManyotherchangestosinglewordsinCassell1893mustcomefromStevensonandareclearlymotivated,e.g.‘Rhonewine’drunkinRotterdam(thusintheMS,p.173,andAtalanta)ischangedtothemoreappropriate‘Rhenishwine’inthefirstbookedition. AnimportantpointiswhereCatrionaintheMSsaystoDavid‘IamthankingthegoodGodhehasletmeseeyounaked’(p.209),whichischangedto‘[…]seeyouasyouare’inAtalanta,astorymagazineforgirls,andto‘[…]seeyouso’inCassell1893.Thoughthemeaningof‘naked’hereisintendedas‘plain,undisguised’(butsurelywithanintendedfrissonofassociatedmeaningforthereader),Icouldimaginetheauthorhavingsecondthoughtsaboutitinproofs. ThereseemstohavebeennoattempttochangeScotstostandardEnglishintheproofs,ifanything(andthisisinteresting)thereverse(aswe’veseenwith‘quoth’); MS‘Iknewtheanswer‘(p.156),and‘Well’(p.217)werechangedto‘Ikentheanswer‘and‘Weel’inbothAtalantaandCassell.‘Yecannaetellwhichwayitis’intheMS(p.217),isidenticalinAtalantabutbecomes‘Yecannaetellthetanefraethetither’inCassell—clearlyininterventionoftheauthorontheproofs. PassagesomittedfromCassell1893 Itisgoodtohavethelonginterpolatedstoryaboutshipwreckinginthechapter‘TheBass’(pp.99-100)thatwasomittedfromthebookedition,yetonecouldunderstandStevensondeletingitinproofsastoomuchliketheexplanatoryback-storyinsertedbyahistoricalnovelist. Theother,shortpassagesomittedinCassell1893canforthemostpartbeseenaspossiblyauthorial.Forexample,inthefirstparagraphofch.9Daviddescribeshisstateofmind: AndwhenIrememberedJamesMore,andtheredheadofNeilthesonofDuncan,Ithoughttherewasperhapsafourthintheconfederacy,andwhatremainedofRobRoy’solddesperateseptofcateranswouldbebandedagainstmewiththeothers.(p.60) Thiscouldwellhavebeenomitted(andsurelycouldonlyhavebeenomittedbyStevenson)becauseconsideredinappropriatelyfieryforDavid. Atthebeginningofch.10anotheromissioninCassell1893canbeseenasmotivatedbyadesireforconcision: Itwasabouthalf-pastthreewhenIcameforthontheLangDykes^.^DeanwaswhereIwantedtogo. PassagesaddedtoCassell1893 It’salsogoodtohavetranscribedinthenotesthefoursummaryparagraphswrittenbyStevensonatthesuggestionofColvinandincludedinthefirstbookedition.Totellthetruth,thestoryatthispointisonthecomplicatedside,andIthinkthereadersofthebookfoundituseful—asIdid—tohavetheseadditionalguides. 4.BarryMenikoff’svigorousprose Ihavetriedtokeepmycommentsasneutralaspossible,wantingtoavoidwritingafullevaluativereviewofthevolume.ThereasonforthisisthatthisapostingaboutaneditionofStevensonforaStevensoneditionblog.Anyeditioninvolvesmanysubjectivedecisions,andnaturallyeveryonethinkstheirownsubjectivedecisionsarethebestanddefendsthemdoggedly(withjustificationsthatwedeludeourselvesarerational).It’sabitlikefurniturearrangementinthehome:weallknowthatitdoesn’treallymatteriftheumbrellastandisplacedinside,oroutside,thefrontdoor,andyetweallwantitwherewewantit.Suchthingscanevenleadtodivorce.Sothisismeaimingatacalmtoleranceaboveandbeyondallthat.Letmesimplywelcomethiseditionasamostvaluableresourcetohave,theworkofmanyyearswrestlingwithmanuscripttranscription(Iknowhowdifficultthisisinasmallway,socanonlyrespectthisvastundertaking),andofcourseawelcomeinvitationtoreadDavidBalfour/Catrionaoncemore. AssomeonewhohasbeeninvolvedinMStranscriptionforEssaysIVinthenewStevensonedition,Icanappreciatethevastamountofworkinvolvedandheroicallyundertakenbyoneeditor.Onecanimaginethatthefollowingcommentin‘TheNoteontheText’incorporatesanacquiredpersonalunderstandingfromMenikoffhimself: Ihaveoptedtoprintthesewordsashewrotethem—ashewrotethem,onehundredthousandwordsbyhand,notoncebuttwice.Thesheerlaborofthethingisalmostunimaginableinaword-processedculture.[…]Henevercomplainedaboutthephysicallabor,evenifhedidgetwriter’scrampwhilecomposingBalfour;heregularlyshiftedthepentohislefthand,manifestinthepainfulscrawlonthepages,andreflectedinDavie’scommentonhisscribalworkforPrestongrange—”Thecopyingwasawearybusiness.”(p.lxvi) IcanonlyenvyMenikoff’svigorousprosestyle: heconsideredLeVicomtedeBragelonneunequaledinitsfusionofstoryandaction,whichisanotherwayofsayingadventure.(p.xxv) welivethroughexperience,whichisouradventure,butouradventurelivesonlythroughart.Alifeofaction,howevergrand,leadsbuttothegrave;alifedrawninink,withasteelstylus,becomesindelible.(p.xxx) David[…]islikeanactorinaplayunfoldingbeforehiminrealtimeanddesperatelyinneedofthescript.(p.xxx) courageisnottheabsenceoffearbutthepresenceofaction(p.xlix) SometimesitsoundsabitlikeRaymondChandler: Nomansignsuptocrossachoppyoceaninwinterandtraverseacontinentinanironhorsetoaraucousportcityshroudedinfoginordertositinaparlorandsing“Love’sSweetSong”.(p.xliv) Sometimes,intheenergeticwrestlingofwordsandideas,thereareechoesofStevensonhimself,asintheelegantendtotheintroduction: Foralllifeisastory,asinthepagesifDavidBalfour,ataletold,andtheonlypredictablethingaboutitistheending.Asforitsmeaning,evenintheplainestifcases,iteludesus,asitdoesthemorecunningwisdomofStevenson,whichiswhythefinalsentence,ofwhateverpen,cannotdecidewhethertheangelsabovearelookingdownwithpealsoflaughter,orareturningaside,fraughtwithtears.(p.lxi) Menikoffseemstowritehimselfintocertainelegiacpassages: Butintheend,asishisway,idealismcomesdowntoearth,forinthisworldasGodmadeit,asBlackAndiewouldsay,weallgrowold,andinnocencelosesoutinthetramplingoftime,andtheromancethatmadeitlovelywhenyoungcanneverberecapturedbutinmemory.ThisiswhyagreatbooklikeDavidBalfouristoldinretrospect,turningbackandgraspingforloveandbeautyintheirfreshesthours,beforemarriageandchildrenmaketheirclamoringclaims,andthestoryjump-cutstotheend,whenageinstallsitselfinitsinescapableplaceinourmortallives.(p.l) JustasheenshrinedmemoryinthededicationtoCharlesBaxteratthefrontofthebook,heembeddeditinaninteriorlandscapethathetranscribedinproseandcompressedintoplace-names.Theycanbelikenedtothe“floatingworld”oftheJapaneseukiyo-e,onlyinsteadofpicturestheyarewordsofevanescentbeauty,capturedandheldfortheirownsake,butultimatelytransitoryandperishablelikelifeitself.(lvi) Alltheintroductorymatterisapleasuretoread—andnowthatBarryMenikoffhassuccessfullycompletedhistrilogyofthreeStevensoneditionsfromthemanuscripts(Falesá,KidnappedandDavidBalfour),Ilookforwardtoenjoyinghisfirstvolumeoffamiliaressays:I’msuretheytoowillbeagreatpleasuretoread. Writtenbyrdury 21/09/2016at10:36am PostedinCatriona,DavidBalfour,Linguisticaspects,Manuscripttranscription,MStranscription,News,Publications,RobertLouisStevenson,Scholarlyediting,Stevenson'sstyle TaggedwithBarryMenikoff,emendationpolicy,manuscripts,RobertLouisStevenson,transcribing ConferencereportforRLS2013:Stevenson,TimeandHistory (UNSW) with3comments byNaomiCarle (DurhamUniversity) Ihavetoconfess,IwasmorethanalittlescepticalthatIwouldbeabletoidentifyagroupofStevensoniansamongthecrowdgatheredonthestepsoftheArtGalleryofNewSouthWales,butIneedn’thaveworried.AlthoughthiswastobemyfirstStevensonconference(wellover-due),acollectionofamiableandinterestedfacesaffirmedIwasintherightplace.RoslynJolly’sinspireddecisiontobegintheconferencewithatourofStevenson’sSydneywasbothconvivialandinformative.Weviewedpicturesillustrativeofthe‘shamcandycane’tropicsthatStevensonstrovetocorrect;sawanexhibitionofmanuscriptscollatedespeciallyfortheconferenceattheStateLibraryandmarvellouslycontextualisedbyRogerSwearingen’sextensivenotes;restedintheverychairStevensonoftenoccupiedwhenhidingawayfromhiswomenfolkattheUnionClub(albeitnowhousedinaratherimpressiveskyscraperthatwouldhavebeenentirelyalientohim);andwonderedathisvehementhatredoftheinoffensivePostOfficeTower.Roslyn’shelpfulrevelationthatoneofhismanuscriptswasingestedbyitscorridorsnevertore-emergewentsomewaytoexplainingthings.Aswithallgoodtours,oursendedinabar–arathermarvellousinstitutiontuckedbeneaththemajesticsailsoftheOperaHouse,justabovetheharbour.Bythetimewebegantopeeloffintothenight,IfeltlikeIwaspartingfromoldfriends. UnionClub,Sydney RoslynandChrisDantacontinuedthespiritofthepreviouseveningintheirofficialwarmwelcometotheconference,whichincludedarespectfulacknowledgementoftheindigenouspeopleswhoselandwemeton.BusinessbeganwithAdrianPoole’smasterfulkeynote,whichutilisedAlan’s‘grandmemoryforforgetting’(utteredingenuineScots)asafruitfulpointofdepartureforadiscussionofindividualandcollectivememoryasmodelsforwritinginStevenson’sworks.Fromapoliteagreementbetweenfriends,toratsnibblingattheedgesofavicar’ssermonandfin-de-sièclepreoccupationswithpsychology,history,pointsoforiginandgenetics,wearrivedbystepsandleapsatanewappreciationforStevenson’suneasyunderstandingofsurvivalswhichresonatedwithmanysubsequentdiscussions.Therefollowedadayofilluminatingandincrediblyinter-relatedpanels,despitetheirdiversityintopicandapproach.ThemanyfacesofStevensonwerediscussedinrelationtothehistoricalnovel,theanxietyofinfluence,thereceptionofhisworkinFrenchliterarycirclesandPortuguesetranslation,andhiscomplexrelationshipwiththelaw.ThesepapersprovokedinterestingelaborationsonStevenson’splayfulnessasawriter,thecontentionbetweenhistoryandfictioninhiswriting,andhisdesiretobeinnovativeandexperimentalinallwhileremainingacutelyawareofthelimitationsofhischosenmedium.Duringlunch,weweretreatedtothebooklaunchofJuveniliaPress’seditionofStevenson’sEarlyWritings,editedbyChristineAlexanderandEliseMcPherson.Thevolumecontainssomeremarkablesketchesdrawntoaccompanyhiswritings,whichshowthataninterestinthedialoguebetweenartisticformsbeganatanearlyage. ThethemesofmemoryandStevenson’sunsettlingabilitytoleavehisreaderwithastartlingpictorialimpressioncarriedthroughintothesecondday.WeenjoyedpanelsonStevenson’smanipulationofnarrativetime,hisstronginterestinscienceandmedicine,thetensionbetweentraditionandmodernityandhisimportantSamoanconnection.OneofthemostarrestingofStevenson’scharacteristicstoemergewastheplasticityofhisapproach,theimmensecapacityhehadforseeing,andcapturingoraltraditioninhiswriting.Aftertheday’sproceedings,wewereprivilegedtoattendtheunveilingofanewlydiscoveredStevensonpoem,‘BirthdayversestoaLady’,atSanctaSophiaCollege.RoslynJollydeliveredawide-ranginglectureonthepoem’scontextinStevenson’soeuvre,elucidatingthemeaningofthefind:themanuscripthadbeentuckedawayinCollegearchives,undisturbedforyears.CarolineHowlitt,oneoftheconferencedelegates,providedanauthenticScottishaccentforanotherofStevenson’srelatedverses,addinganinternationalflavourtotheevening. Thefinaldaybroughtwithitafurtherwindfallofstimulatingpapers–spanningthesundryaspectsofStevenson’swritingsfromchildhood,hiscreativitywithbothwordsandpictures,andhishighlydevelopedinterestinthedynamicsofprocess,changeandmovement.Alongsidethesepanels,weweretreatedtosomeratheroutoftheordinarypresentations.PennyFieldingandAnthonyMandalgaveusapreviewofthecurrentworkingformatforthemuch-anticipatedEdinburghEdition,includingalistoftheanticipateddatesforpublicationoftheindividualvolumes.AnthonythenreturnedafterlunchtotellusabouthishighlyinnovativeJekyll2.0projectwhichwillbringtheexperienceofJekyll’sLondontolifeforparticipants.Usingtechnologythatmonitorscardiacandsensoryresponsestothesimulatedworld,playerswillbeguidedthroughtheirownuniqueversionofJekyll’sexperienceoftransformingintoHyde.AnthonysharedtheclosingpanelwithJoHenwood,who–likealltheindependentscholarsparticipatingintheconference–gavearefreshingandinsightfulportrayalofherpersonalengagementwithStevensonthroughherprofessionasastoryteller.Inanentertainingandunscriptedpresentation,shetookusrighttotheheartofStevenson’scraftinhersurveyofhisnarrativetechniquesdesignedtoexploitthepowerofsuggestionandlureanaudiencein. IleftSydneydeterminedtocontributetoVirginia2015,andeagertoreturntomystudyandinjectsomethingoftheintellectualvibrancyofthepastthreedaysintomythesis. -33.867487 151.206990 WrittenbyAnthonyMandal 05/09/2013at2:51pm PostedinConferences,RLS2013 Taggedwithbooks,global,history,international,literature,manuscripts,publicationhistory,RobertLouisStevenson Jekyll2.0:EmbodyingtheGothic Text with5comments AttheendofNovember2012,IwasluckyenoughtobepartofateamthatwonacommissionthroughtheinnovativeREACTBooks&PrintSandboxcallforearly2013.I’llbeworkingasleadacademicpartnerwithBristol-basedcreativecompany,SlingShot,tocreateapervasivemediaexperiencethatdrawsonthenarrativeandthemesofStevenson’sgothicmasterpiece. Humanity2.0isanunderstandingofthehumanconditionthatnolongertakesthe‘normalhumanbody’asgiven.Ontheonehand,we’relearningmoreaboutourcontinuitywiththerestofnature—intermsoftheecology,geneticmake-up,evolutionaryhistory.Onthisbasis,it’seasytoconcludethatbeing‘human’isoverrated.Butontheotherhand,we’realsolearningmoreabouthowtoenhancethecapacitiesthathavetraditionallymarkedusofffromtherestofnature. —SteveFuller,AugusteComteChairinSocialEpistemology,Warwick. ThecoreofourprojectdrawsonthefundamentalquestionsofJekyllandHyde:Whatmakesushuman?Doourmindscontrolourbodiesorareweshapedbyoururges,compulsionsandappetites?Willtechnologyradicallytransformusintoaneworganism,‘Humanity2.0’?Suchquestionsarenothingnew:duringthe19thcentury,theculturalimplicationsofemergingtheoriesofidentityandthedominanceofsciencewereexploredbynumerousworksofliterature.Drawingonthistradition,ourprojecttransformsthisreadingintoplay,tocreateapervasivegamingexperiencethatlinksindividuals’bio-datawithonesuchtext,Stevenson’sJekyllandHyde(1886),inordertostimulateparticipantsintoconsideringtheconditionoftheirownhumanity.Readtherestofthisentry» WrittenbyAnthonyMandal 13/01/2013at9:46pm PostedinCreativeprojects,DrJekyllandMrHyde,News,outreach,RobertLouisStevenson Taggedwithbooks,digitalhumanities,gaming,gothic,Humanity2.0,literature,narrative,pervasivemedia,RobertLouisStevenson,textuality TalkonscholarlyeditingattheNationalLibraryofScotland,9Nov 2011 leaveacomment» TextualEditinginPrincipleandPractice:WhatAreYouReading?Lecture2 DrAlisonLumsden(UniversityofAberdeen)andDrAnthonyMandal(CardiffUniversity) NationalLibraryofScotland,9November2011,6pm(free) Whyshouldyoubuyabookfor£6.99whenyoumighthavethesametitlefor1.99?Isitjusttheprice?Thequalityofthepaperandcover?Ormightthetextitself—thewordsyou’llbereading—bedifferent? WhydoesaresearchlibraryliketheNLSholdsomanycopiesofthesametitle?Whatdifferencedoesitmaketoreadonecopyratherthananother?Whyaresomanybooksevenneeded? Thebooksthatwebuyinbookshopsorreadinlibrariesmayhavethesametitles,buttheyareoftenverydifferent—theymaycontaindifferentwords;sometimesacrucialsceneoreventheendingmayvary.Someeditionswillalertthereadertothesedifferences—otherswilljustprintthemosteasilyavailabletext.Inthisserieswewilllookatsomefamousexamplesoftextswhichhavemorethanoneversion,andguideyouthroughthechoiceseditorsmakeinordertoproduceatextfortheinformedreader. Inthislecture,thesecondoftheseries,scholarsworkingonmajoreditionsofkeyScottishauthorswillexplorehowmoderneditorssetaboutproducinganeditedtext.Whataretheprinciplesweadhereto?Whatistheevidencethatcountsinvaluingonestateofthetextoveranother?Shouldweprefertheauthor’sfirstorlastversion?Howshouldwetreattheauthor’soriginalmanuscript?Inthesecondpartofthetalkwewilldemonstratetheprocessofediting,inparticularhowwecanbenefitfromthelatesttechnologicaladvances. Whyweeditbooks. DrAlisonLumsden(EdinburghEditionoftheWaverleyNovels) Howweeditbooks.DrAnthonyMandal(NewEdinburghEditionofRobertLouisStevenson) Partofthe‘WhatAreYouReading’seriesoflecturesandworkshops.Formoreinformationdownloadthe‘WhatAreYouReading’informationsheetPDF(122KB,2pages). PleasebookyourticketsonlineorcalltheNLSdirectlyon01316233918. WrittenbyAnthonyMandal 07/11/2011at5:20am PostedinNews Taggedwithbooks,digitalhumanities,editing,literature,manuscripts,RobertLouisStevenson,transcribing,WalterScott,witnesstexts,writing ErnestJamesMehew (1923-2011) with2comments ErnestJamesMehew,editoroftheLettersofRobertLouisStevenson 23September1923–24October2011 byRogerG.Swearingen ErnestJamesMehew,theworld’spre-eminentauthorityonthenineteenth-centuryScottishauthorRobertLouisStevenson,diedpeacefullyinhissleepon24October2011,amonthafterhiseighty-eighthbirthday.Forapproximatelythelastyear,hehadresidedwithhiswifeofmorethanfiftyyears,Joyce,inanEdgware,Middlesex,nursinghometoprovideherwithsupportandcompanionshipinherprogressiveandlosingstrugglewithadvanced-agedementia.Shesurviveshim;theMehewshadnochildren. ErnestMehew wasbornon23September1923atBluntisham,HuntingdonandeducatedatHuntingdonGrammarSchool.InJune1942,attheageofeighteen,hejoinedtheBritishArmyandservedwiththeRoyalArmyOrdnanceCorpsintheUK,France,Belgium,andIndia.AlreadyfondofStevensonfromhisschooldays,itwasJanetAdamSmith’s1938biographicalstudy,Mehew laterrecalled,thatin1942madehimaseriousstudentoftheauthor.Afterhistimeinthearmy,Mehew joinedtheCivilServicein1947andservedintheForeignOffice,theMinistryofFood,and(formostofhisdistinguishedthirty-yearcareer)theMinistryofAgriculture,Fisheries,andFood.Heretiredin1983atthelevelofPrincipal(G7). Hetookadvantageofhishour-longcommuteontheBakerloo LineoftheLondonUndergroundtoandfromhishomeinStanmore toreadnotonlyeverythingthatStevensonhimselfwrotebutpracticallyeverythingthatStevensonhimselfhadreadandeverythingthathadbeenwrittenabouthimorabouthisfamily,hisfriends,andhistimes–wheneverpossible,fromprimarysources.Mehew’sknowledgewas,asaresult,encyclopaedic,notnarrow,andbesidesfrequentvisitstosecond-handbookshopsinCharingCrossRoad,heandhiswifeJoyce(herselfakeenstudentoftheperiod,andoftheEnglishauthorMauriceBaring)spentmanyaweekendsearchingbookshopsforstillmoreaboutStevenson–notablyinPeterEaton’ssprawlingestablishmentatLiliesnearAylesburyinBuckinghamshireand,later,inthemanybookshopsinHay-on-Wye.Thecollectionofbooks,periodicalversions,reminiscences,andmuchelse,soonfilledeveryavailablecornerofthehouseandattic. Fromtheearly1950s,inpartfromhisletterstotheTimesLiterarySupplement correctingerrorsandomissionsandsettingtherecordstraight,oftenforthefirsttime,MehewbecamerecognizednotonlyforhisknowledgeofStevensonbutofthelatenineteenth-centuryliteraryscenegenerally.Forminglife-longfriendshipsintheprocess,hehelpedwithJanetAdamSmith’seditionsofStevenson’sCollectedPoems (1950,1971),withtheBritisheditionofJ.C.Furnas’sbiographyofStevenson,VoyagetoWindward (1952),andwithRupertHart-Davis’s majoreditionofOscarWilde’sletters(1962).‘Mr.Mehew hasunearthedseveraldozenlettersunknowntome’,Hart-Daviswroteinhisintroduction,‘besidesdoingthemostacutedetectiveworkonbehalfofthefootnotes:anyofthemthatseemparticularlyingenious,amusingorreconditecansafelybeattributedtohim,whileMrsJoyceMehew’s extensiveknowledgeoftheBiblehasprovedinvaluable’.Hewasamentor,too,toayoungergenerationofscholars,notablytheStevensonbibliographerRogerG.Swearingen,whomhefirstmetin1969whenSwearingenwasingraduateschoolandwithwhomhemaintainedanactivefriendshipandcorrespondenceformorethanfortyyears,practicallytothedayofhisdeath. In1966,Mehew wasaskedbyYaleUniversityPresstocommentonaneditionofStevenson’sletterstheninpreparationbyProfessorBradfordA.Booth.Mehewsubmittedacommentarysolengthy,useful,authoritative,anddetailedthathewasaskedtobecomeassistanteditoroftheYaleletters–ataskwhichbecamehisalonewhenProfessorBoothdiedsuddenlyon1December1968. TheeightvolumesofTheLettersofRobertLouisStevenson,publishedtwenty-fiveyearslaterin1994and1995,includedmorethan2,800letters,almosttwo-thirdsofthemneverbeforepublished.Mehew’s carefultranscriptions,dating,anddetailedandincisiveannotations,togetherwithhisintroductionandlinkingcommentaries,notonlyplacedthestudyofStevensonuponawholenewfoundationoffact,butalsosetastandardforthescholarlyeditingandaccessiblepresentationofsuchmaterialthatwillneverbesurpassed.ItisatestimonytothethoroughnessandcompletenessofMehew’sworkthatinthefifteenyearssincethepublicationoftheYaleLettersfewerthanadozennewlettershavecometolight,noneofthemofanygreatimportance,andthatthephysicallocationsofonlyadozenorsootherletters,thenuntraced,havenowbecomeknown. Mehew’sSelectedLettersofRobertLouisStevenson (1997)isanengagingandbalancedselectionilluminatedthroughoutbyMehew’s introduction,annotations,andlinkingcommentary.Theresult,ineffect,isanauthoritativeandhighlyreadableshortbiography.AnothermasterpieceofcompressionanddetailisMehew’sentryonStevensonintheOxfordDictionaryofNationalBiography(2004). InadditiontohisworkonStevenson’sletters,Mehewalso–somehow–foundtimetorespondpositivelyandindetailintheTLS,13November1970,toGrahamGreene’sobservationthatStevenson’scomicnovelwrittenincollaborationwithhisstepsonLloydOsbourne,TheWrongBox (1889),hadneverbeenpublishedcorrectly.Thiswasindeedthecase,andthebookwasaspecialfavouriteofMehew’s.Hewasanenthusiastic,contributingmemberofTheWrongBoxClubthatdinedannuallyinLondonforsomeyearsinthe1960s–andhisdefinitiveeditionofTheWrongBoxappearedin1989. Mehew’sthoroughnessandpassionatecommitmenttoaccuracyearnedhim,attimes,anundeservedreputationforirascibility.Allheeverwantedwasthatpeoplegetthingsright.Hewasdisappointedwhentheydidnot,andtookgreatpainstocorrecterrorswhereverhefoundthem.Astrikingexamplewashismeticulous,detailedripostetoFrankMcLynn’sbiographyofStevensoninanarticle,2July1993,andsubsequentcorrespondenceintheTLS. LikeStevensonhimself,Mehew hadanunlimitedrespectandthirstforknowledge–andnopatienceatallwithprejudice,errorsorwithwhatRLS called‘Bummkopfery’,whetherintheformoflabouredpedantryoritsflourishingmoderncounterpart,academicingenuity.ScholarsworldwidebenefitedfromMehew’snever-failingwillingnesstoanswerquestionsandtosuggestimprovements,howeverdisconcertingtoone’sself-esteemhishelpfulcommentsmightoccasionallyhavebeenatfirst.Theonlygoalwastogetthingsright. Inrecognitionofhislife’swork,inJuly1997theUniversityofEdinburghawardedMehew anHonoraryDoctorofLetters,notinginthecitationthatwithnoacademicaffiliationErnestMehew ‘hasachieved...acontributiontoliterarystudieswhichwouldbetheenvyofmanyauniversity-basedacademic,andhasdonesowithagenerositytoothersandaself-effacingmodestywhicharethemarksofatruescholar’.In1999,DrMehewwaselectedasoneofthe500FellowsoftheRoyalSocietyofLiterature. Scholarsandfriendsworldwidemournhislosswhilecelebratinghislastingandextraordinaryachievements. Writtenbyrdury 05/11/2011at8:42pm PostedinNews,People Taggedwithbooks,correspondence,editing,ErnestMehew,letters,manuscripts,obituaries,RobertLouisStevenson,transcribing Newsfromthevolumeeditors:Prince Otto with10comments byRobertIrvine EditingaStevensonnovelcaninvolvesomeverysmallmattersaswellassomebigquestions.RobertIrvinedescribeshowoneofthesmallestpointsofall—thehyphen—raisesquestionsabouthistoricalusage. Firstchoices Ihavebeenworkingrecentlytoestablisha‘copytext’ofStevenson’s1885novelPrinceOtto.A‘copytext’isaparticularinstanceofatextwhichistakenasabase-linebytheeditor,againstwhichvariationsinotherversionsofthetextcanbelisted,andvariationsfromwhichinthefinalpublishedversionmustbejustified.WehavechosenthefirstbookeditiontoperformthisfunctionfortheNewEdinburghEdition.SomyfirsttaskaseditoristoensurethattheelectroniccopytextonmyscreenconformsinallaspectstothetextpublishedbyChatto andWindusin1885.Inprinciple,noeditorialdecisionsaretobemadeatthisstage:wheretherearemistakes,evenanobviousprintingerrorliketheomissionofaquotationmark,thoseremaininthecopytext,tobecorrectedwhenthetextiseditedandthecorrectionnoted. Thatpeskyhyphen Noeditorialdecisionstobemadeinprincipleatthisstage:butonesetofeditorialdecisionsis,infact,unavoidable.Intranscribingprose,wepaynoattentiontoline-endingsinthetextfromwhichwearetranscribing,line-endingsinprosebeingdictatedbyspaceavailableonthepage,andnothingmore.Topreservetheline-endingsinthetranscriptionofaprosetextirrespectiveofthesizeofyournewpagewouldbetoturnitfromproseintoverse.Buttomakethemostefficientuseofthelengthoflineavailabletohimthetype-setteroftheprintedtextwillsometimessplitwordsattheendofalinewithahyphen.Usuallythetranscriberofthecopytextcanignorethesehyphensandrestorethecompleteword.Theproblemcomeswhenthewordthathasbeensplitacrosstwolinesmighthavebeenhyphenatedtostartwith.Decidingwhetherornottopreservethehypheninthecopytextinsuchcasesisnolongeracaseofsimplypreservingwhatisonthepageinfrontofyou,butrequiresreferencetoothersourcesofinformation:requires,thatis,aneditorialdecision.Readtherestofthisentry» Writtenbypennyfielding 13/07/2011at9:32pm PostedinNews,PrinceOtto,Reports Taggedwithbooks,digitalhumanities,editing,emendationpolicy,literature,RobertLouisStevenson,witnesstexts «OlderEntries Clickontheimageabovetotakeyoubacktothelatestnewsandupdates. Searchfor: RecentPosts AndréGide’sStevensonian tale a-moral Anechoof Dickens DedicationstoStevenson Stevenson’sdedicationsto others Blogroll HathiTrust–listofonlineRLSbooks Links W.F.Prideaux,AbibliographyoftheworksofRobertLewisStevenson(archive.org) RLSlinks RLSWebsite TheMusicofRLS AndersonSalecatalogues1914,1916 ColgateSalecatalogue1928 GlembySalecatalogue1926 BeineckeCollection(McKay),vol1:PrintedBooks BeineckeCollection(McKay),vol5:ManuscriptsbyRLS RobertLouisStevenson'sHandwriting RobertLouisStevenson,Hithertounpublishedprosewritings,ed.byHenryH.Harper(1921)(archive.org) Poems(hithertounpublished)(1921)(archive.org) BeineckeCollection(McKay),vol2:PrintedBooks,Pamphlets,Broadsidesetc. BeineckeCollection(McKay),vol3:LettersbyRLS Stevenson'sEssays:Yahoodiscussiongroup AcatalogueofthebooksandmanuscriptsofRobertLouisStevensoninthelibraryofHarryElkinsWidener(1913) TheStevensonlibraryofHenryA.Colgate(1928) The(illustrated)LettersofRobertLouisStevenson StevensonMSS,HarryRamsdenCollection,Univ.ofTexasatAustin Scholarlyeditinglinks EUPhomepage SWINCwebsite FillHisHeadFirstwithaThousandQuestions WaltWhitmanArchive TheLibraryofWilliamMorris AnnotatingLiterature(Tübingen) Pages AboutthisBlog AbouttheEdition Personnel Volumes About Us Archives Twitter RT@bernardtjoy:Idoubtthatthere'sanybetterwaytowalktoworkthantorecitepoemswhileyougo.&recordingthisoneonlytookmet…> 1 day ago RobertLouisStevensonSydneyWritersWalkplaque,Australia.https://t.co/hi5ylGZcJA> 2 days ago Ahem#literaryhairstyles#protohipstertwitter.com/JamesHogg250/s…https://t.co/BlDrTuY2rh> 6 days ago Exemplarymaynotbetheword,butagooddealnonetheless.twitter.com/AspectsHistory…> 1 week ago TheMarch2021issueof@EIDjournalfeaturingGutzonBorglum'sStevensonMemorialatBakerCottage,SaranacLake(…twitter.com/i/web/status/1…> 1 week ago EmailSubscription Enteryouremailaddresstosubscribetothisblogandreceivenotificationsofnewpostsbyemail. 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