Roorbach, Eloise J.

Souvenir of the Mystic Orchestra [manuscript illustrated cover title].

[Mystic Connecticut?]: [circa 1894]. 8½” x 10¾”. 17 ribbon bound stiff card leaves. All but one page with handwriting and/or illustration; 15 pages with a portrait photograph glued down, most of which measure 5½” x 3¾”. Very good: first leaf detached, foxed and dust soiled; otherwise very good plus with occasional light foxing.

This is an elaborately illustrated album documenting a local orchestra. It was created by a noted female artist and author, Eloise Jenkins Roorbach. Jenkins grew up in Illinois where she was taught drawing locally, and found her way to an art school in New York City, ultimately marrying one of her instructors, George S. Roorbach, in 1889. They moved to San Francisco where Eloise published travel essays about California in such publications as Sunset Magazine and Overland Monthly. She usually often provided illustrations for those articles as well. She left her husband in 1910 and returned to New York, working as an editor for Craftsman Magazine as well as earning a reputation as a critic of California architecture. She was later the gardening editor of Touchstone Magazine out of New York.

We date the album based on newspaper articles regarding the formation and performances of the group. We know they performed at a benefit concert for the poor at the Mystic Opera House in February 1894 and another performance in June of that year filled the same venue. Newspaper reports of performances continue through 1896. The album's third page has a list of named performers and officers of the orchestra. Beginning with page four, each two page spread has a lightly illustrated literary quote on the left page, with a photograph of a performer, along with an illustration and/or music, on the right page.

A gorgeous original work simultaneously documenting the efforts of a female author/illustrator as well as a little known local orchestra. Very good. Item #9103

Price: $1,875.00