The W.J. Strachan Collection is a collection of artists’ books (or livres d’artiste), or (usually) parts of artists’ books, that was donated to the Taylor Institution Library by the eponymous Walter J. Strachan, who devoted much of his life and career to the collection, exhibition, and study of 20th century artists’ books made in France.
More than 200 artists’ books are represented in this collection, and selections from it are usually displayed at the Taylorian once or twice each year. The below images give an idea as to the collections’ variety (click on each one to view a larger version). You can read more about our work with the collection on the Taylorian blog and/or the Sackler blog (search for the posts using keywords ‘artists books’). If you want to know more you can consult Strachan’s catalogue of his collection: W.J. Strachan. Le livre d’artiste: a catalogue of the W.J. Strachan gift to the Taylor Institution (Oxford, 1987).
Today, the collection is housed at the Sackler Library, in a climate-controlled special collections space. Readers wishing to view individual works should contact sac-enquiries@bodleian.ox.ac.uk to make an appointment.
Tristan Tzara. Juste présent. Illustrated by Sonia Delaunay (Paris: Galerie Louise Leiris, 1961).
Tristan Tzara. Parler Seul. Illustrated by Joan Miró (Paris: Maeght, 1948-50).
William Shakespeare. La Tempête. Illustrated by Léonor Fini (Paris: Aux dépens d’un amateur, 1965).
Georges Ribemont-Dessaignes. La Nuit, la faim. Illustrated by Georges Braque. (Paris: Maeght, 1960).
Simon de Beauvoir. La Femme rompue. Illustrated by Hélène de Beauvoir (Paris: Gallimard, 1967). (Image: Koninklijke Bibliotheek/National Library of the Netherlands)
Edgar Allan Poe. The Raven. Illustrated by Mario Prassinos (Paris: P. Vorms, 1952).
André Malraux. La Tentation de l’Occident. Illustrated by Zao Wouki (Paris: Les Bibliophiles Comtois, 1962).
André Malraux. La Tentation de l’Occident. Illustrated by Zao Wouki (Paris: Les Bibliophiles Comtois, 1962).
Ilia Zdanevitch. Un de la brigade. Illustrated by Ania Staritsky (Paris: 1982).
Paul Verlaine. Parallèlement. Illustrated by Pierre Bonnard (Paris: Vollard, 1900).
Bible Selections (1638 Geneva text). Abraham Pleurant Sara. Illustrated by Marc Chagall (Paris: Tériade, 1931-1939).
William Shakespeare. La Tempête. Illustrated by Léonor Fini (Paris: Aux dépens d’un amateur, 1965).
Comte de Lautréamont. Les Chants de maldoror. Illustrated by Salvador Dalí (Lausanne: Skira, 1934).
