Arabian Nights Images - John Batten?
Although I haven't seen an illustrator credit in any of the
editions I have with these images, one of them contains
the same pictures shown on the
Arabian Nights Books site for illustrator John Batten, so I
assume we've identified him.
I've obtained 3 books with these illustations.
The first such book is titled
The Arabian Nights' Entertainments-
with Seventy Illustrations and
was published by W.B. Conkey Company, Chicago.
Although the book has no date,
my copy does have a hand-written note on the inside papers
with a date of 1907.
(A reader advised that she had the same book with a hand-written
date of 1903.)
I have another book that looks to be almost an exact reprint of
this book, but with a different (more boring) cover,
and published by The World Syndicate Publishing Company;
Cleveland, Ohio and New York City. This latter one is
also undated, but has a hand-written note with a date of 1939.
The pictures have an appealing old-world look to them.
In addition to a nifty one of Morgiana, there are
several for the "Aladdin" story showing the princess wearing
interesting outfits. The picture at the top here is from
the frontispiece, presumably showing Scheherezade.
Later I acquired a rather different edition, The Arabian Nights'
Entertainments- with one hundred and ten illustrations, published
by Henry Altemus Company in 1899.
This has more illustrations, but has fewer stories.
I love this edition
because it has a color
version of Morgiana dancing as the frontispiece.
Also, the "Ali Baba" story contains several more pictures of
her dancing, which form sort of an action sequence.
|
This is from "The Story of the Fisherman and the Genie."
|
|
|
This is from "The Story of Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp."
This apparently is the princess, heading into the bath.
She seems to be dressed like a dancer!
(Not in the Altemus edition.)
|
|
The princess again, all duded up.
|
|
|
And again, looking pensive.
|
|
Another one of the princess in "Aladdin."
(Not in the Altemus edition.)
|
|
|
These two are both from "The Story of Bluebeard."
This is a story I don't usually see included in the Nights
(it wasn't in the Altemus edition).
I'm under the impression is was added later to some compilations.
|
|
|
Starting
"The Story of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" in the Altemus edition,
this
is apparently the (wealthy) wife of Cassim, Ali Baba's brother.
Interesting that she's wearing a dagger.
|
|
Here's Morgiana going after the robbers in the pots. What I find
interesting here is that she seems to be holding a tamborine!?
|
|
|
Here's the dance sequence from the Altemus edition.
|
|
|
|
|
At left is the only picture of Morgiana dancing in the
Conkey/World Syndicate editions, and at right the color
version from the Altemus edition.
Somewhat interesting is she's not dressed the same as in the sequence above.
Not sure if that means a different illustrator,
or perhaps just done at different times.
|
|