Charles Thomas Hudson (1828-1903), was a naturalist, microscopist and teacher. He devoted his leisure to microscopical research, giving talks and publishing numerous papers in scientific journals.
He became internationally acknowledged as an authority in the study of the Rotifera, a division of tiny multicellular animals in fresh water and marine ecosystems. Hudson's beautiful illustrations of 'The Rotifera' and his ingeniously constructed colour transparencies show how his artistic talent enhanced his dedicated scientific study.
The Hudson Transparencies are a set of fifty-eight original images of microscopic plants and animals. Created in the late 19th century by Victorian naturalist Charles Thomas Hudson to accompany his educational talks, they now form part of the University of Exeter’s Special Collections. Each original transparency measures approximately 96 cm high by 76 cm wide. Made of framed brown Manila paper, with shapes cut out, pinpricks and pieces of coloured and painted tissue paper stuck on the reverse of the cut-out shapes, they look very roughly-made at first glance. However, they are carefully designed so that when lit from behind they create striking images, conveying the beauty and intricacy of minute plants and creatures.
Online Exhibit: The Hudson Transparencies
This exhibition showcases all 58 Hudson Transparencies transparencies together for the first time, with images showing both their construction, and how they were intended to appear when lit from behind.
Leonard Baskin (1922-2000) was a sculptor and artist, born in New Brunswick and brought up in Brooklyn. He had his first exhibition of sculpture in New York at the age of seventeen and went on to study at Yale University followed by the New School for Social Research. Baskin founded the Gehenna Press in 1942 while at Yale, and in 1956 the press moved to Northampton, Massachusetts, where Baskin taught printmaking and sculpture at Smith College. Not long after the press had moved, Baskin began a lasting collaborative friendship with the poet laureate, Ted Hughes.
EUL MS 350 - Leonard Baskin and Ted Hughes collection
This collection consists of a range of prints, including etchings, woodcuts, woodblocks, lithographs and watercolours; books, drawings and correspondence from Leonard Baskin to Ted Hughes and catalogues by Baskin and the Gehenna Press. Many of the items are artists' proofs and are signed and annotated to Ted and Carol Hughes.
tems from two collaborative works between Leonard Baskin and Ted Hughes, both published by the Gehenna Press:
Proofs for 'Capriccio', 1990 (all measurements in inches, w x h)
Title page, proof, colour (27.5 x 19.75)
The Error, proof, (14.125 x 19.9)
Systole Diastole, proof sheet (27.5 x 19.75)
Proofs for 'Oresteia ', 2001
Prospectus (24.125 x 16
Gorgon (12.25 x 16)
Paris and Helen (12.25 x 16)
Orestes (12.25 x 16)
Snake and Eagle (12.25 x 16)
Eagle and Hare, press proof, sheet with text (24.125 x 16)
Three Furies, press proof, sheet with text (24.125 x 16)
The colophon (24.125 x 16)
EUL MS 192 add. 2 - Noel Chanan: 'The artist and the poet' DVD
Documentary by Noel Chanan of Leonard Baskin and Ted Hughes in conversation, 1983
EUL MS 192 add. 1 - Ted Hughes, Exhibition Posters and Limited Prints
Poster advertising exhibition of illustrations to Ted Hughes' poems, held at the Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A), 12 September to 28 October 1979. One of a limited edition of 150 posters signed by both the poet and the artist, Leonard Baskin. Also one, possibly the proof, of a limited edition of 100 copies of the poem "Thomas the Rhymer's Song" with woodcut illustration by Baskin, printed by the Gehenna Press and published on the occasion of the opening of the Ted Hughes Papers, Robert R Woodruff Libary, Emory University on 7 April 1000.
EUL MS 58 - Literary papers relating to Ted Hughes's 'Cave Birds'
The collection is the complete series of poems and drafts for 'Cave Birds'. This series of poems was commissioned from Hughes by the Ilkley Festival of Literature and was first performed at Ilkley on 30 May 1975. The original 'Cave Birds' poems were based on a series of drawings by Leonard Baskin. Later, a second series of ten drawings inspired a further group of poems, and later still these poems were diversified, for relief and contrast, by the interpolation of a further set of poems in a looser and more dramatic style. The complete sequence consists of thirty poems. To these, Hughes added a brief series of explanatory notes, one for each poem. The Scolar Press produced a limited edition of 100 copies of the second set of poems, together with the corresponding drawings by Baskin, in 1975. Twenty-nine poems were published in an edition by Faber in 1978. The collection includes a page of contextual notes by Eric W White, former committee member of the Arts Council.
The collection is organized by book, project portfolio or format. There is a large series of individual prints not yet fully catalogued.
EUL MS 350/3 Prints by Leonard Baskin relating to both published books and individual print sequences.
EUL MS 350/3/1 Prints by Leonard Baskin relating to published books.
EUL MS 350/3/1/1 Prints related to 'Cave Birds'. Series of prints relating to 'Cave Birds'. Some annotated to Ted and Carol Hughes and some artist's proofs.
EUL MS 350/3/1/2 Prints related to 'Unknown Dutch Artists'. Artist's proof unbound copy of 'Unknown Dutch Artists', published by the Eremite Press in 1983. Annotated to Ted and Carol Hughes and signed by Leonard Baskin. 1 of 2 artist's proof copies.
EUL MS 350/3/1/3 Prints related to 'Crow'
EUL MS 350/3/1/4 Prints related to 'Capriccio'. Artist's proofs of prints from 'Capriccio', published by the Gehenna Press in 1990. Seven of the prints pasted on to paper backing. Some prints signed and annotated to Ted and Carol Hughes as proofs by Leonard Baskin.
EUL MS 350/3/1/5 Prints related to 'Grotesques: etchings and a panegyrical note'. Artist's proofs of 'Grotesques: etchings and a panegyrical note', published by the Gehenna Press in 1991. Annotated to Ted and Carol Hughes and signed by Leonard Baskin.
EUL MS 350/3/1/6 Prints related to 'Jewish artists of the early & late Renaissance: a book of etchings & words'. Artist's proof unbound copy of 'Jewish artists of the early & late Renaissance: a book of etchings & words', published by the Gehenna Press in 1993. Annotated as proofs and signed by Leonard Baskin.
EUL MS 350/3/1/7 Prints related to 'Lepidoptera Fantastica'. Artist's proofs of 'Lepidoptera Fantastica', published by the Gehenna Press in 1994. Annotated to Ted and Carol Hughes and signed by Leonard Baskin.
EUL MS 350/3/1/8 Prints related to 'Presumptions of Death'. Artist's proof unbound copy of 'Presumptions of Death', published by the Gehenna Press in 1995. Annotated to Ted and Carol Hughes and signed and annotated with some brief notes regarding the prints by Leonard Baskin. Also contains seven seperate prints, signed and annotated to Ted and Carol Highes.
EUL MS 350/3/1/9 Prints related to 'Oresteia'. Prints relating to the 'Oresteia' . Includes annotated artist's proofs signed and annotated to Ted and Carol Hughes by Leonard Baskin.
EUL MS 350/3/1/10 Prints related to 'Skulls'
EUL MS 350/3/2 Other Prints. A collection of prints by Leonard Baskin including working proofs and trial prints. Some are annotated to Ted and Carol Hughes.
1. Augustus St. Gaudens, 1981; black and white lithograph, touched trial proof, 8th pull
2. Augustus St. Gaudens, 1981; colour lithograph, artist's proof
3. Medea in her magic making hat, 1981; black and white lithograph, trial proof, 2nd pull
4. Medea in her magic making hat, 1981; colour lithograph, proof
5. Medea Magic, 1981; black and white lithograph, trial pull, 3rd pull
6. Medea Magic, 1981; colour lithogrpah, proof
7. Self portrait, 1981; colour lithograph, working proof
8. Yom Kippur, 1982; black and white lithograph, trial proof, 9th pull
9. Yom Kippur, 1982; colour lithograph, proof
10. Untitled , 1982; black and white lithograph, trial proof, 1st state, 10th pull
Included in the collection are limited edition Gehenna Press books of Baskin's collaborations with Ted Hughes including 'Howls and Whispers', 'Oresteia' and 'Mokomaki' and other, often artists' copies, limited edition Gehenna Press books illustrated by Baskin including 'Diptera', 'Hermaika' and 'Nature's Mould'.
There are also catalogues and flyers for individual works published by Gehenna Press, a Catalogue Raisonne of Baskin's work, exhibition posters, printing plates, and books illustrated by Leonard Baskin.
EUL MS 350/1 Collection of books including collaborations with Ted Hughes, books published by The Gehenna Press, fine limited edition copies and other books illustrated by Leonard Baskin. Many contain annotations to Ted and Carol Hughes from the artist.
EUL MS 350/1/1 Collaborations with Ted Hughes. Books written by Ted Hughes and illustrated by Leonard Baskin including limited edition fine copies by The Gehenna Press and the Eremite Press.
EUL MS 350/1/2 Gehenna Press and Eremite Press limited edition books. Books from the collection of Ted and Carol Hughes, published by the Gehenna Press, founded by Leonard Baskin in 1942.
George Louis Palmella Busson du Maurier (1834-1896) was a well-known illustrator and novelist. From 1860, he quickly became established as a magazine illustrator, working for publications including 'Once a Week', 'Punch', 'The Illustrated London News', 'Good Words', the 'Illustrated Times', 'London Society', the 'Sunday Magazine', 'The Leisure Hour', 'Harper's Magazine' and the 'English Illustrated Magazine'. He was also a successful novelist, publishing 'Peter Ibbetson' (1889), 'Trilby' (1894) and 'The Martian' (1897).
These collections are part of a larger collection of papers relating to various members of the du Maurier family.
Click the next tab for a list of collections
EUL MS 4 - Edward Cahen Photographic Collection
EUL MS 11 - William Harding King photographs relating to his explorations of the Libyan Desert
EUL MS 57 - Architectural photographs of Major Brian C Clayton
EUL MS 61 - Glass plate negatives and photographs from the Library of the Imperial Institute, London
EUL MS 141 - Four photograph albums, probably owned by Eden Phillpotts
EUL MS 171 - Keystones and Carvings project on medieval interior sculpture: photographs of Exeter Cathedral
EUL MS 172 - Volumes of photographs of New Zealand
EUL MS 175 - Chris Wallace-Crabbe family photographs
EUL MS 180 - South Tawton and District Local History Group photographic archive
EUL MS 181 - Photograph albums of Frederick W Latterall and of Bedford Lemere and Co.
EUL MS 209 - First and Second World War postcard album belonging to Professor Chris Brooks
EUL MS 226 - Ecclesiastical photograph albums
EUL MS 248 - Postcard collection of Sir Alfred William Clapham
EUL MS 249 - Postcard collection relating to Sydney A Pitcher
EUL MS 383 - Nicholas Toyne: photographic archive of Northcott Theatre productions
Click the next tab for a list of archives
EUL MS 21b - Art Student's Diary
EUL MS 23 - Illustrated Bird Book
EUL MS 35 - Edward Parfitt papers relating to Devon fungi
EUL MS 37b - John Gendall sketchbooks
EUL MS 47a - Sketches of Ceylonese [present day Sri Lanka] life by John Van Dort
EUL MS 77 - Literary papers of Joyce Boundy relating to Thomas Hudson
EUL MS 152 - Volume of illustrations published by the Pamir Commission
EUL MS 158 - Papers relating to Ballets Russes
EUL MS 160 - Sketches and engravings of John T Bentley
EUL MS 214 - Hudson Transparencies
EUL MS 224 - Volume entitled 'Stothard's engravings'
EUL MS 266 - Papers of Dorothy Langford Brown (nee Reed)
EUL MS 397/19 - Rose Marie Duncan Collection
EUL MS 416 - Common Ground Archive
EUL MS 454 - R J Lloyd, items relating to his collaboration with Ted Hughes
EUL MS 485 - Famine Scrolls Collection
EUL MS 497 - Ewart Johns Papers
Click the next tab for a list of manuscripts
EUL MS 352 - Manuscript Ethiopian Folding Prayer Book, also known as a Sensul, c 19th century
Manuscripts from the Syon Abbey Collection, including:
EUL MS 262/1 - Processionale mid-late 15th century
EUL MS 262/2 - Horae, c 1430s
EUL MS 262/3 - Brevarium, 15th century;
EUL MS 262/4 - Horae, c 1423-1430s;
EUL MS 262/5 - Horae, 15th century;
EUL MS 262/6 - Brevarium, 15th century;
EUL MS 262/7 - Sermo de Sancta Anna et alia, 15th century;
EUL MS 262/8 - Missale Hollandicum, 16th century;
EUL MS 262/9 - Officium parvum Beate Mariae, 15th century;
Find out more about Syon Abbey manuscripts in our online guide
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