CHRISTINA ROSSETTI: A DESCRIPTIVE BIBLIOGRAPHY

New Castle, Delaware: Oak Knoll Press, 2011. Hardcover, dust jacket. Rossetti, Christina. 8.5 x 11 inches. Hardcover, dust jacket. 380 pages. With the publication of her first book, Goblin Market and Other Poems (1862), Christina Rossetti (1830-1894) became the first of the Pre-Raphaelite poets to achieve critical success. Although Rossetti was (and still is) chiefly hailed as one of the century's leading poets, her accomplishments ranged beyond poetry to include essays, short fiction, and seven volumes of devotional poetry and prose. Frequently illustrated by her brother Dante Rossetti and other important Victorian artists, Christina's books also hold an important position in the history of Victorian book design and illustration.



As the first descriptive bibliography of Christina Rossetti, this book documents the full range of Rossetti's publication history, taking into account her books as well as her appearances in anthologies, periodicals, and hymnals, musical settings, and selected translations, ephemera, and Rossettiana. In addition to identifying a number of new publications, this bibliography provides a full account of the American printings of Rossetti's poetry collections, records a number of manuscript corrections or additions discovered in copies examined, and pays special attention to musical settings of her work. A substantial introduction provides an overview of her publishing history, identifies the bibliography's major findings, and explains the bibliography's format and terminology.



Christina Rossetti: A Descriptive Bibliography concentrates upon materials published before 1900, though selected later publications are also included. Locations are provided for all copies examined or known to exist, and presentation copies are identified. Section A is devoted to separate works wholly or primarily by Christina Rossetti, and provides complete bibliographical descriptions that incorporate current scholarly practices in the field. In this section, title page transcriptions, collation, pagination, plates, contents, typography, paper, running titles, bindings (including identification of the patterns and colors of binding materials), and publishing and printing details are provided for nearly 40 editions and sub-editions. Section B lists over 150 appearances in books, supplying title page transcriptions and supplementary notes on publication, illustration, and other matters, while Section C identifies over 150 periodical contributions by genre, providing full bibliographical citations and supplementary notes. Section D is divided into two parts, one for hymnals (published with or without music), and one for musical settings (including sheet music, song books, and music published in periodicals). Over 150 pre-1900 settings are listed, with a variety of details are provided for scores, including descriptions of sheet music covers or other title page equivalents; price; publisher's plate numbers; the length of the score in printed pages; initial key signature (expressed as numbers of sharps or flats), time signature, and tempo notations; reviews and notices of contemporary performances. Section E includes translations by or of Rossetti's work to 1900; selected printed ephemera; and selected other Rossettiana, including memorials, plaques, and commercially produced items.



A comprehensive index of poems allows readers to trace publication of poems across all sections of the bibliography. An index of prose and a general index are also included. The bibliography is illustrated with a 16-page insert of color plates.



Maura Ives is Associate Professor of English at Texas A&M University. Her essays on Christina Rossetti and on 19th century bibliography and textual studies have appeared in The Journal of Pre-Raphaelite Studies, Studies in Bibliography, PBSA, and Textual Cultures.