Laurence Housman publishes The Field of Clover, Engraved by Clemence Housman

Double-page frontispiece to the volume, published by Paul, Trench, and Trübner, London, 1898 edition. Archive.org.

The Field of Clover by Laurence Housman, with engravings by Clemence Housman, was published in London by Paul, Trench, and Trübner. The dedication reads “TO MY DEAR WOOD-ENGRAVER,” referring to Clemence. Laurence Housman did not dedicate all of his works. The dedication is indicative of the bond between the two siblings and shows by its choice of epithet Laurence's high regard for Clemence's skill as an engraver.

The book is a collection of fairy tales: “The Bound Princess” (a longer work in six parts), “The Crown’s Warranty,” “The Wishing Pot,” “The Feeding of the Emigrants,” and “The Passionate Puppets.” Like The Were-Wolf, The Field of Clover is a collaboration between Laurence and Clemence Housman. Laurence wrote the text and drew the original illustrations, which were then engraved by Clemence. 

Also similar to The Were-Wolf, the subject matter of the book demonstrates the Victorian fascination with the supernatural and themes of transformation. Women recite spells to turn into flowers; a great worm drinks a boy’s breath through a magical ring. The language is rich and vivid, and the stories themselves often impart moral lessons.

The Field of Clover, along with several of Laurence Housman's other works,  was collected into a larger volume called Moonshine & Clover by the New York printers Harcourt, Brace, & Company, in 1922.

Associated Place(s)

Event date:

1898