Exhibit:

The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam: Illustrated by Ronald Balfour

Preview of images

The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, Ronald Balfour illustrated edition, is property of Oregon State University (OSU). OSU 's Special Collections and Archives Research Center (SCARC) holds a large collection of editions of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. This collection, known as the Sigurd H. Peterson Memoiral Collection has over 101 editions of the work, spanning the years from 1859 to 1957. It features many fine press and illustrated editions, as well as materials related to Rubaiyat scholarship. The collection was donated in honor of Sigurd Peterson, a faculty member at Oregon State University. 
 
This Exhibit focuses on the Ronald Balfour illustrated edition of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Please enjoy my collection of information and speculation surrounding this edition of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám.

Images in this Exhibit

Description of Edition

This edition of Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is illustrated by Ronald Balfour. This book was translated by Edward Fitzgerald and published in 1920 by Dodd Mead and Company, New York and printed in Great Britain by Chiswick Press: Charles Wittingham and Griggs, London. This book is 156 pages and uses FitzGerald's fourth edition of translation. 

Looking at general details, this book has a green hardcover with many illustrations throughout. The illustrations take up every- other page of the book, taking up almost more space than the poem itself. The illustrations vary in style and...
Gift Books and Orientalism

In On Exhibit: Victorians and Their Museums, Barbara Black explores the idea of appropriation that she believes has occurred through the growing popularity of Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám. Black argues that “This poem’s value becomes inseparable from its pretty, crafted, possessable diminutiveness. Khayyám’s verse remains entrenched in the categorically Oriental, in the land of seers and Eastern serenity” (Black 61). In summary, because FitzGerald’s Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám gained extreme popularity as a gift book (something that can be collected, owned, and valued...
Close Reading of Image + Text

In stanza II of Balfour’s illustrated edition of Edward FitzGerald’s The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám the imagery of dawn, the sky, and taverns work together to support the overall meaning of the book: Life is fleeting, seize the moment and take pleasure in what you can. Stanza II reads, “Dreaming when Dawn’s left / Hand was in the Sky / I heard a Voice within the Tavern cry, / ‘Awake, my little ones, and fill the / cup / Before Life’s Liquor in its Cup be dry”(II.) 

This stanza calls on the reader to wake up, not just from sleep, but from routine and hesitation. The first step...
How This Edition Was Made

The 1920 edition of The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám, translated by Edward FitzGerald and illustrated by Ronald Balfour, exemplifies the collaborative efforts of prominent figures in early 20th-century publishing. Published by Dodd, Mead and Company in New York and printed by the esteemed Chiswick Press in London, this edition crosses oceans.

Ronald Egerton Balfour (1896–1941) was a British illustrator and costume designer known for his distinctive Art Nouveau and Art Deco styles. Born into a prominent family, Balfour began his artistic journey during his service in the Royal...
Archival Speculation

My friend Kenneth Teter,

You’re married! What a joy it is to celebrate your nuptials. I am giving you this book so you don’t forget your freedom! Do you remember our days exploring those brothels in New York? Well I chose this edition for you because it was published in New York! The very same city! And just look at these drawings, there are quite appealing women, yes? This artist, Ronald Balfour, is known for his erotic artstyle in this book. Don’t let the new missus see!

I also know how much of a fan you are of Aubrey Beardsley. Balfour’s illustrations were also known as a...