Exhibit:

Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam meets Scottish Terrier

Preview of images

This is a picture of the Scottish Terrier that is presumably named 'Socks' that inspired this edition. It is the only real photograph in the entire edition. This is the hardback cover of the edition. It shares the same photograph of the Scottish terrier as that in the frontispiece. This is the epigraph that quotes three paragraphs of Senator George Graham Vest's speech entitled 'Eulogy of the dog.' This is a drawing of the terrier begging for food from its owner.
Image of Scottish terrier running down the stairs after being chastised by a maid. Picture of stanza three in the edition Image of Scottish terrier sleeping next to a plush cushion chair
Image of 'Socks' overlooking a pond with swans Last stanza of the edition

This is an analysis of The Rubáiyát of a Scotch Terrier, written and illustrated by Sewell Collins.

Images in this Exhibit

Description of the Edition
This is a picture of the Scottish Terrier that is presumably named 'Socks' that inspired this edition. It is the only real photograph in the entire edition. This is the hardback cover of the edition. It shares the same photograph of the Scottish terrier as that in the frontispiece. This is the epigraph that quotes three paragraphs of Senator George Graham Vest's speech entitled 'Eulogy of the dog.' This is a drawing of the terrier begging for food from its owner.

 

The Rubáiyát of a Scotch Terrier by Sewell Collins is a parody of the famous and well-established Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam translated by Edward FitzGerald. Sewell Collins is an American dramatist and film producer born in Denver, Colorado, in 1876. It was published in 1926 by Frederick A. Stokes Company and has 71 unmarked pages. The exact edition of FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam that this edition is based on is unknown because it is a parody. Thus, any distinction between the three editions of the poem can’t be distinguished. It is important to...
Gift Books and Orientalism
Image of Scottish terrier running down the stairs after being chastised by a maid. Picture of stanza three in the edition Image of Scottish terrier sleeping next to a plush cushion chair

According to Britannica, cultural appropriation is when “members of a majority group adopt cultural elements of a minority group in an exploitative, disrespectful, or stereotypical way.” This definition is neat, simple, and generally meets modern-day examples of cultural appropriation. But this definition doesn’t fit very well for the gift books of Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam. This poem was translated from Persian to English but then dolled up with ornate Persian-inspired art, not intending to erase the Persian influence but to increase it. Every new copy of the Rubáiyát...
Close Reading of Image + Text
Image of 'Socks' overlooking a pond with swans Last stanza of the edition

The meaning of Rubaiyat of a Scotch Terrier is revealed in the last stanza, where it is shown that the beloved Scottish terrier is dead and simply wishes his owners to think of him fondly. The stanza says, “And when that time comes, Master, if in vain/ I seek a paradise for Dogs, I fain/ (If, as some say, there's no such Place for me)/ Would dwell just in your Thoughts-and not complain.” The stanza is then accompanied by two pictures, one with the dog’s bowl overturned and leash hung up, and another image inspired by a photograph. This image, which will be the image investigated,...