Synopses & Reviews
Review
"Stunning . . . an astonishing array of works . . . showing us the ingenious ways artists observe and depict the natural world. The volume's carefully orchestrated rhythm of images and words reveals Fairman's fruitful collaboration with book designer Miko McGinty. Short texts, sprinkled throughout . . . offer lively commentary on the beautifully photographed plates." Brooke Hodge, Artforum
Description
Showcasing a unique and extensive private collection that is soon to be acquired by the Yale Center for British Art, The Poet of Them All illustrates almost one hundred of Neale and Margaret Albert’s miniature books, each one intricately constructed and rendered in precise detail at less than three inches in height. Imaginatively hand-bound by some of today’s most accomplished bookbinders, the selection features custom miniature editions of publications by William Shakespeare and related to his works, preceded by an in-depth essay from leading book historian, conservator, and artist James Reid-Cunningham. Revealing an underexplored facet of contemporary book arts, this publication illustrates the remarkable singularity of the Alberts’ collection, providing both comprehensive views and the scholarly context necessary to fully appreciate the significance of these distinctive objects.
About the Author
Elisabeth R. Fairman is chief curator of rare books and manuscripts at the Yale Center for British Art. James Reid-Cunningham has worked as a conservator at the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University and the Boston Athenaeum and is a leading practitioner of book arts as well as a book historian.