Wednesday, October 9, 2013

115. A Charles Shannon dedication

A dedication copy of a book about Charles Shannon can be seen on YouTube. The book is inscribed by the artist to the Princess of Monaco, 'with the kindest good wishes from the artist'. 

The commentary says that it is of course 'unusual, an artist giving a book about himself to somebody there'. 

The monograph, Charles Shannon, was published in 1924 by Ernest Benn, Ltd., London, in the series about 'Contemporary British Artists'. It was simultaneously published by Smalley's in McPherson, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri.

Dedication copy of Charles Shannon (1924)
This particular dedication copy was on sale on e-Bay, but has now been removed.

The Princess was born as Alice Heine in Louisiana in 1858. In 1875 she married the Duke of Richelieu, and became the 'Duchesse de Richelieu'. The duke died in 1880, and in 1889 she married Albert I of Monaco, thus becoming Alice Princess of Monaco. She died in December 1925.