Category Archives: General

Convolvulus Seasideiensis

Convolvulus Seasideiensis. “This delicate Animal has been see in great Abundance this Autumn all round the Coast. It flourishes best in exposed situations, and during [Inclement], windy Weather. 19th Century School in the Manner of Edward Lear (1812-1888) – Ink … Continue reading

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The Edinburgh Companion to Nonsense Literature

Barton, Anna, and James Williams, eds. The Edinburgh Companion to Nonsense. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, 2022. Introduction: Companionable Nonsense – Anna Barton and James Williams Part I: Notes towards a History of English Nonsense 1. Buba, Blictrix, Bufbaf: Medieval Theory … Continue reading

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The Original Wheelbarrow Woman?

If you have been following this blog for some time you may have noticed how insanely partial I am to women who ride around in wheelbarrows, whether these are propelled by kind husbands or terrible devils. I have even posted … Continue reading

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Midsummer Readings

Jagger, Jasmine. “Lear’s Tears.” Victorian Poetry 57.1 (2019). 101-129. And: Jagger, Jasmine. “The Endlessness of Alice.” The Cambridge Quarterly 45.1 (2016). 91-97. Caniglia, Maria Rossana, and Maria Concetta Fiorillo. “Disegno e narrazione in alcune vedute calabresi di Edward Lear.” ArcHistoR EXTRA … Continue reading

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A Parallelebiped

From Il Sole 24 ore, Sunday 10 February 2019.

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Learite Bookplate

André Raffalovich’s bookplate by Austin Osman Spare. From the following auction: Private Press, Illustrated Books and Modern First Editions – Wednesday 30th January 2019 Beardsley (Aubrey) A Book of Fifty Drawings, with an Iconography by Aymer Vallance, [one of 500 … Continue reading

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Pussycat Pussycat

“Pussycat pussycat, where have you been?” “I’ve been up to London to visit the Queen.” “Pussycat pussycat, what did you there?” “I frightened a little mouse under her chair” “MEOWW!” First published in London during 1805 in the book Songs … Continue reading

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More Summer Readings

Lecercle, Jean-Jacques. “Le nonsense entre image et texte.” Image [&] Narrative 19.2 (2018): 51-60. [Largely devoted to Edward Lear’s limericks.] Lecercle, Jean-Jacques. “Bêtise du limerick.” Humoresques 42 (2015-2017): 63-74. [Humoresques. This is mentioned in the article above, I haven’t seen … Continue reading

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Summer Reading

The New York Times at last reviews Jenny Uglow’s Lear biography, Mr Lear: David Orr, There Once Was a Man Who Felt Lonely: A Biographer Considers Edward Lear’s Art and Its Sources. A few week ago Peter Byrne, a frequent commentator … Continue reading

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Thomas Uwins, A Hop Picker at Farnham

Thomas Uwins (NOT Unwins) was James Uwins’s uncle: the latter, probably on the recommendation of his relative, travelled with Edward Lear to Naples, Amalfi and finally to La Cava. In addition to the introduction on Lear, I wrote a short … Continue reading

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