WHITE, Gleeson &
SHANNON, Charles
The Pageant.
A major periodical stronghold of aesthetic and decadent writers and artists. The Pageant was initially conceived by Ricketts and Shannon as a Christmas annual magazine. Under the guidance of Gleeson White, their aim was to present British aestheticism as a collective of eclectic tastes in beauty, as well as to promote the avant-garde to a wider audience. This was done through a range of different material – including poetry, short fiction, and visual art – that dealt with ancient myth and modern western culture.
The title-page is by Selwyn Image and the endpapers are by Lucien Pissarro. The first issue includes an original lithograph “Brother“ (p. 29) by Whistler.
Library plate of Cecil F. Crofton, ownership inscription dated Christmas 1895. Photograph stuck onto ffep, possibly of a young Shannon, who contributed to The Pageant as well as being its arts editor. His work in Volume 1 has a particular focus on Greek mythology.
Faint splash marks to front cover. Slight foxing to endpapers. Very good copy.
