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BETHANY'S ORIGINAL ART
IN BOOKS
Artists will sometimes add a real painting or drawing in a book. Or the publisher may create a limited edition of a book with an "extra illustration" bound in, i.e., only a few copies of the book appear in that particular form. The practice is called "extra illustration" and makes that book unique. No other copy has exactly the same piece of art. It's extra because the unique copy has at least one more drawing not seen anywhere else. Bethany has embellished several copies of Drawn from New England (and other titles) with a piece of her original art. These rarer items are more expensive, but would make a most unusual addition to your collection of Tudor books. We might also commission Bethany to add a painting to a book you already own. Inquire. 
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ANDIRONS FROM TASHA TUDOR'S HOUSE
Among the items for sale in our shop is a large set of brass andirons that once graced the McCready home in Webster. These have large brass balls and are being sold un-polished in the state we received them. They will be sold with a letter of family provenance. You may view them on our web site by searching item 26118. They are pictured in Drawn from New England, pages 40 and 66, and in Take Joy!, pages 143, 151, and 154.
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PROBATE PROGRESS
The children of Tasha Tudor continue their discussions in the Vermont Probate Court at Brattleboro. After an early July meeting, it appears a settlement could be reached by the end of the year. Some Newsletter readers have told us of living through your own similar disconcerting probate histories. You will be able to empathize as others cannot.
Send $3.00 for our 2010 list of available Christmas Cards
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SEPTEMBER is upon us!
Fairs and foul weather are in store. We hope you have a good Labor Day weekend. Think of those of us along the Atlantic coast whose weekend may be wet and windy. Happy apple picking to all! And peaches and Concord grapes, too! |
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BETHANY TUDOR'S 70th BIRTHDAY
August 3, 2010, was Bethany Tudor's 70th birthday. She had a quiet day with no brass bands. Remember that Bethany wrote and illustrated several books in the 1960/70s. If, like us, you have enjoyed her six books and watercolor illustrations, you can find her more recent note and gift cards at this site. Click on the Bethany Tudor button at the top of the Cellar Door Books web page for a quick tour. We have many items that demonstrate her art and creativity.
 
(Nell Dorr. copyright Amon Carter Museum) (Bethany Tudor. copyright Jill Hare)
Bethany wrote 3 books about her childhood Steiff toys. Her plush ducklings were named Samuel and Samantha. They had two steadfast companions, Gweek, a small bluebird, and Owl. You can follow their adventures in Gooseberry Lane (1963), Samantha's Surprise (1964), and Samuel's Treehouse (1979). Bethany's life-long love of birds and their intricate ways is reflected in each of these small charming books. She infused her toys with life stories even though they were made of cloth and stuffing. Bethany dedicated the books to her sister, her mother and her daughter - and a goose named Araminta. Read a copy of Gooseberry Lane and compare Bethany's painting of the house on page [6] with the house Tasha Tudor painted for the cover of The Dolls' House. It shows the power of artistic influence.
We have previously written of the borders Willebeek Le Mair painted early in the 20th century. They were the clear influence for Tasha Tudor's use of borders in the 1940s. The Le Mair influence is also evident in Bethany's painted floral and evergreen ovals on the covers of both Gooseberry Lane and Samantha's Surprise.
Bethany's work appears in three other books. Bethany and her mother were both edited by Ann Beneduce at Crowell and Collins and Philomel. Ann contracted Bethany to illustrate two other natural themes. In Chip the Chipmunk (1962), we see her interpretations of life for the small ground rodent familiar to many of us. The Nest (1972) is a book written by a children's literature professor. Bethany illustrated it in tones of soft leaf green and tree bark brown to show the nesting patterns of a robin.
Bethany's last book and the most informative is the pictorial biography of her mother Drawn from New England: Tasha Tudor, A Portrait in Words and Pictures (1979). This is the last book that Ann Beneduce shepherded through to completion. Family photographs on every page lead us into the life of Starling Burgess McCready (Tasha Tudor), from her fantastic childhood to her equally fantastic adult years. Chapter 10 details Tasha, Bethany Tudor and granddaughter Laura's move from New Hampshire to the "new old" house in Vermont. A number of pictures include the young Laura. Compare the small blond-headed girl with her grandmother's famous painting "Laura in the Snow."
The book describes Seth Tudor's building the Vermont house for his mother. The book doesn't mention that the present day Abby Rockefeller (who lived up the road) purchased the Webster, N.H., house from Tasha, nor that Doris Purvis' Concord, N.H., house inspired Tasha to measure, photograph and replicate it in Marlboro, VT. Brother Tom helped raise the buildings when he was visiting. Reggie Bacon lamented the fact that his nephew "young Roger" Bacon, also a carpenter, is not credited for his assistance in the building. His father Roger Bacon was Tasha's friend and a well-known mid-20th century antiques dealer. Tasha painted a Christmas card (Irene Dash HT 7-69K) which shows an old cupboard belonging to Roger and Ruth Bacon loaded with their collection of antique combware.
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VISIT CELLAR DOOR BOOKS TO SEE UNUSUAL TUDOR ITEMS
We have never advertised ourselves as a museum, but some of our books give rare insights into Tudor's art, circle of friends and life style. There are unique books with very personal inscriptions. We have some garments from the clothing dispersal auction and other unusual pieces that once were in Tasha Tudor's possession. We are always happy to share them with our visitors. We expect our collection of Tudor material will someday be placed with a proper research collection. But until that happens, you can see some rare Tasha Tudor artifacts at our shop. Many who have visited Cellar Door Books know the sort of thing we are describing. We invite you to include us in your planning for a Fall trip to New England. We're an hour and a half north of Boston and an hour and a half east of Marlboro, Vermont. Call to let us know when you might be in the Concord, NH, area. |
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We hope you will enjoy hearing future news and upcoming events.
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Wm John Hare
61 Borough Road Concord, NH 03303-1833 Toll free: (800) 818-8419 Entire contents © 2010 Cellar Door Books
Visiting New England? Please plan to visit Cellar Door Books by appointment. We are an hour and a half east of Marlboro, VT, and an hour and a half north of Boston. An hour to the coast or mountains. Your GPS guide will bring you right to our driveway - and then tell you to turn left, for some perverse reason ! The vagaries of technology !
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