Books to Burn!!
Date1898
Artist
William Wallace Denslow
(American illustrator, 1856–1915)
Illustration CitationAdvertising poster for The Philistine, 1898
MediumThree-color commercial lithograph
Dimensionscomposition: 13 1/4 × 10 1/4 in. (33.7 × 26 cm)
sheet: 15 15/16 × 11 15/16 in. (40.5 × 30.3 cm)
sheet: 15 15/16 × 11 15/16 in. (40.5 × 30.3 cm)
Credit LineGift of Gordon Pfeiffer, 1977
Object number1977-350
On View
Not on viewClassificationsPRINT
Label TextWhile Denslow is most famous as one of the early illustrators of the Wizard of Oz stories, he began his career as a Chicago poster designer. In 1896, he began several years of work for Roycroft, the Arts and Crafts community in East Aurora, New York, founded by Elbert Hubbard. Hubbard originated The Philistine, A Periodical of Protest in 1895 as a magazine of witty prose and irreverent commentary. On this satirical poster, the little monk is burning supposedly dangerous books such as copies of The Philistine, a volume about Roycroft, and the Biblical book of Job. Denslow interlaced his seahorse monogram with the R for Roycroft. 
William Wallace Denslow
1897
