Leonard Smithers
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| - | '''Leonard Smithers''' (1861, [[Sheffield]] – 1909) was a [[British publisher]], a friend of [[Oscar Wilde]]. He was the publisher of the British [[decadent movement]] of [[fin de siècle]] London, playing a critical role in the careers of Oscar Wilde, [[Aubrey Beardsley]], [[Arthur Symons]], [[Max Beerbohm]] among many others. | + | '''Leonard Charles Smithers''' (19 December 1861 – 19 December 1907) was a London publisher associated with the [[Decadent movement]]. With Sir [[Richard Francis Burton|Richard Burton]] he translated the ''[[Priapeia]]'' and [[Priapeia translation by Leonard C. Smithers and Sir Richard Burton|published them in 1890]]. |
| - | Among the publications by Smithers were [[rare]] [[erotic work]]s and unique items such as books bound in human skin. He was also involved in the [[The Savoy (periodical)|Savoy magazine]]. | ||
| - | In 1897 [[Bernard Quaritch]] called him the cleverest publisher in London. He was known for his taste in design and typography. | + | ==Biography== |
| + | Born in Sheffield, Smithers worked as a solicitor, qualifying in 1884, and became friendly with the explorer and orientalist Sir [[Richard Francis Burton]]. He published Burton's translation of the ''[[Book of One Thousand and One Nights]]'' in 1885. He collaborated with Burton in a translation from the Latin of the Carmina of Caius Valerius [[Catullus]] and [[Priapeia]], a collection of erotic poems by various writers. He also published a limited edition of the ''[[Satyricon]]'' of [[Petronius Arbiter]]. | ||
| - | He was also considered to be quite [[reckless]], publishing works that no one else would touch, such as Wilde's ''[[Ballad of Reading Gaol]]''. The ''Concise Dictionary of National Biography'' notes that "There is little doubt that without Smithers the avant-garde movement of the [[1890s]] might have been snuffed out". | + | Smithers published works by [[Aubrey Beardsley]], [[Max Beerbohm]], [[Aleister Crowley]], [[Ernest Dowson]], [[Arthur Symons]] and [[Oscar Wilde]] and lesser known figures such as [[Vincent O'Sullivan (American writer)|Vincent O'Sullivan]] and [[Nigel Tourneur]]. With Symons and Beardsley, he founded ''[[The Savoy (periodical)|The Savoy]]'', a periodical which ran to eight issues in 1896. In partnership with [[Harry Sidney Nichols]], he published a series of pornographic books under the imprint of the "[[Erotika Biblion Society]]": He was notorious for posting a slogan at his bookshop in [[Bond Street]] reading "Smut is cheap today". |
| - | was a [[London]] publisher associated with the [[Decadent movement]]. Born in Sheffield, he worked as a solicitor and became friendly with the explorer and orientalist Sir [[Richard Francis Burton]]. He published Burton's translation of the [[Book of One Thousand and One Nights]] in 1885. He collaborated with Burton in a translation from the [[Latin]] of the Carmina of Caius Valerius [[Catullus]] and [[Priapeia]], a collection of erotic poems by various writers. He also published a limited edition of the [[Satyricon]] of [[Petronius Arbiter]]. | + | When Beardsley converted to [[Catholicism]] he asked Smithers to “destroy all copies of ''Lysistrata'' and bad drawings...by all that is holy ''all'' obscene drawings." Smithers ignored Beardsley’s wishes, and continued to sell reproductions as well as forgeries of Beardsley's work. |
| - | Smithers published works by [[Aubrey Beardsley]], [[Max Beerbohm]], [[Aleister Crowley]],[[Ernest Dowson]], [[Arthur Symons]] and [[Oscar Wilde]] and lesser known figures such as [[Vincent O'Sullivan]] and [[Nigel Tourneur]]. With Symonds and Beardsley, he founded [[The Savoy (periodical)|The Savoy]], a periodical which ran to eight issues in 1896. In partnership with [[Harry Sidney Nichols]], he published a series of pornographic books under the imprint of the Erotika Biblion Society: he was notorious for posting a slogan at his bookshop in [[Bond Street]] "Smut is cheap today". | + | After the trials of [[Oscar Wilde]] in 1895, Smithers was one of the few publishers prepared to handle "decadent" literature, such as Wilde's ''[[The Ballad of Reading Gaol]]'' in 1898, and ''The Savoy''. |
| - | He went bankrupt in 1900 and died in 1909 from drink and drugs. | + | He went bankrupt in 1900, and died in 1907 from drink and drugs. His naked body was found in a house in [[Parson's Green]] on his 46th birthday, surrounded by empty bottles of [[John Collis Browne|Dr J. Collis Browne]]'s [[Chlorodyne]]. He was buried in an unmarked grave, paid for by [[Lord Alfred Douglas]], in a cemetery in [[Fulham Palace Road]]. |
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
| *''[[La Fleur Lascive Orientale]]'', 1893 | *''[[La Fleur Lascive Orientale]]'', 1893 | ||
| - | == External links == | ||
| - | |||
| - | [http://www.library.ubc.ca/spcoll/Colbeck/publishers/colbeck_smithers.htm Leonard Smithers by the Norman Colback Collection] | ||
| {{GFDL}} | {{GFDL}} | ||
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Leonard Charles Smithers (19 December 1861 – 19 December 1907) was a London publisher associated with the Decadent movement. With Sir Richard Burton he translated the Priapeia and published them in 1890.
Biography
Born in Sheffield, Smithers worked as a solicitor, qualifying in 1884, and became friendly with the explorer and orientalist Sir Richard Francis Burton. He published Burton's translation of the Book of One Thousand and One Nights in 1885. He collaborated with Burton in a translation from the Latin of the Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus and Priapeia, a collection of erotic poems by various writers. He also published a limited edition of the Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter.
Smithers published works by Aubrey Beardsley, Max Beerbohm, Aleister Crowley, Ernest Dowson, Arthur Symons and Oscar Wilde and lesser known figures such as Vincent O'Sullivan and Nigel Tourneur. With Symons and Beardsley, he founded The Savoy, a periodical which ran to eight issues in 1896. In partnership with Harry Sidney Nichols, he published a series of pornographic books under the imprint of the "Erotika Biblion Society": He was notorious for posting a slogan at his bookshop in Bond Street reading "Smut is cheap today".
When Beardsley converted to Catholicism he asked Smithers to “destroy all copies of Lysistrata and bad drawings...by all that is holy all obscene drawings." Smithers ignored Beardsley’s wishes, and continued to sell reproductions as well as forgeries of Beardsley's work.
After the trials of Oscar Wilde in 1895, Smithers was one of the few publishers prepared to handle "decadent" literature, such as Wilde's The Ballad of Reading Gaol in 1898, and The Savoy.
He went bankrupt in 1900, and died in 1907 from drink and drugs. His naked body was found in a house in Parson's Green on his 46th birthday, surrounded by empty bottles of Dr J. Collis Browne's Chlorodyne. He was buried in an unmarked grave, paid for by Lord Alfred Douglas, in a cemetery in Fulham Palace Road.
See also
