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
Front page with price, $150, written in pencil Title page with pencil markings of unknown origins
image of stanza one used in archival speculation This is the cover of the edition used in archival speculation The last stanza used in archival speculation Frontispiece used in archival speculation dedication page used in archival speculation Epigraph used in archival speculation image used in archival speculation

At Oregon State University, the Special Collections and Archives Research Center (SCARC) houses an extensive collection of different gift book editions of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam translated by Edward Fitzgerald. This collection, known as the Dr. Sigurd H. Peterson Memorial Collection, was given to the university under strange circumstances. Little is known about Dr. Peterson, except that he was a former professor at the university. Dr. Walter Henry Ott endowed the university with this collection. It is still unknown why or how the Rubáiyát was important to either Dr. Peterson or Dr. Ott.   

The Rubáiyát of a Scotch Terrier by Sewell Collins is one of the gift book editions in this collection. More specifically, this edition is a parody of Edward Fitzgerald's Rubáiyát. In this exhibit, this edition will analyze the basic features of the editions and what makes it special compared to others. It will also delve into the details of how the edition was created and its role in the cultural appropriation of Orientalism. There is also a close reading, where an illustration from the edition, alongside one of its stanzas, is analyzed and contextualized to the edition's greater meaning. Finally, the exhibit closes with an archival speculation based on the information discovered about the edition and the history of gift books in general. 

Written by Annah Shollenbarger

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,...
How This Edition Was Made
Front page with price, $150, written in pencil Title page with pencil markings of unknown origins

The Rubáiyát of a Scotch Terrier is a witty parody of the Rubáiyát of Omarr Khayyman written and illustrated by Sewell Collins, an American artist, cartoonist, and director. He was born on September 1, 1876 in Denver, Colorado (IMDb). He eventually moved to London, England, UK where he ultimately passed away on February 15, 1934 at the age of 58 (IMDb). Sewell Collins primarily wrote screen plays for the movies that he directed. His most famous works are Bracelets, The Devil’s Maze, and the Night Porter (IMDb). The Rubáiyát of a Scotch...
Archival Speculation
image of stanza one used in archival speculation This is the cover of the edition used in archival speculation The last stanza used in archival speculation Frontispiece used in archival speculation dedication page used in archival speculation Epigraph used in archival speculation image used in archival speculation

Dear Margaret, 

I was at the bookstore the other day when I saw this darling little book in the shop window. It sat on a table right in view for a little girl or boy to see if they were to turn their head in the direction of the store. The little dog on the bright mustard yellow cover is powerful enough to entice any wandering and bored child to pull on their mother’s sleeves and beg for a few coins. I find I must tip my hat to whatever bookstore employee thought of this ingenious, albeit slightly sadistic trick. 

 However, it worked; I succumbed to its temptress call. I saw...