We have been reviewing the books and other items donated to our library by longtime Essex benefactor, book-collector, music-lover, and boating enthusiast, the late Donald Beggs. We will be preparing samplers from the collection, adding them to our catalog, and send you descriptions as we go along.

The first group is the art sampler described below. You will find these books on the windowsill on the south side of the library.

Hope to see you in the library soon.

An Art Sampler from the Beggs Collection

Architecture 

Dome of the Rock, by Jerry Landay

The so-called Dome of the Rock in present-day Jerusalem is an ancient site where the faithful of three of the world’s religions—Jews, Christians, and Muslims—have come to offer prayers. The first Israeli temple was completed around 950 BCE; other structures have been built at the same site, reflecting the holy wars that arose in the years to come, including its bombing in 1948 and destructive arson by an Australian religious fanatic in 1969. A fascinating tale of faith and rebuilding.

Master Builders of the Middle Ages, by David Jacobs

When we think of architects today, we do not always think of the bishops, monks, and stonemasons who set the foundations of some of the most innovative and complex structures ever built. In this concise book of just under 150 pages, you will find the story of how ingenuity, teamwork, social change and geography gave birth to Europe’s great cathedrals and, at the same time, to a model of systems and social structures.

Gaudì—1852-1926, by Rainer Zerbst

Antoni Gaudì was a Catalan architect who brought the life of the imagination to stone and glass. His many projects in Barcelona and other cities of Spain have been called “soothing oases in a desert of functional buildings.” Explore the life and work of this inspired genius through a text that explores Gaudi the man and his work, including his 1908 plan for a hotel (unbuilt) in New York City that would stand a towering 900 feet tall!

Art in Nature

Van Gogh’s Flowers, by Judith Bumpus

Vincent van Gogh is known for his stunning paintings of sunflowers, but his “portraits” of other blooming things are equally poignant, thoughtful, and inspiring. Through the rich color plates of this large-format book, you can take an armchair tour through the colorful flowers and gardens that captured the eye of this compelling post-Impressionist artist.

The Hudson River School, by Louise Minks

For more than 100 years, the Adirondacks and surrounding areas have drawn us to explore the rivers, streams, waterfalls, mountains, and forests of Upstate New York. Imagine the awestruck views that artists discovered when they first set foot into this natural wonderland. In this full-color book, you will find compelling views of the Hudson River by Jasper Cropsey, Schroon Mountain by Thomas Cole, Lake George by Martin Johnson Heade. See nature in its wildest and most peaceful moments.

In the Footsteps of Giants

The Complete Works of Michelangelo, by various authors, Reynal and Company

This book is almost as massive as its subject: Michelangelo Buonarotti. The fifteenth-century artist and his work are explored by world-renowned experts in sculpture, painting, architecture, drawing, philosophy, and literature. The nearly 600 pages are filled with more than 1000 luxurious gravure plates, with 32 in full color. Be prepared to be amazed by the man who, with his compatriot Leonardo da Vinci, defined the term “renaissance man.”

Rockwell Kent: An Anthology of His Works, by Fridolf Johnson

The life’s work of one of America’s great graphic artists is presented in a definitive selection of his works, including wood engravings, lithographs, paintings, and book illustrations. The text is augmented with the artist’s own comments on his work and his personal ventures, including the Asgaard Dairy on 257 acres near Au Sable Forks.

Steiglitz: A Memoir/Biography, by Sue Davidson Lowe

Alfred Stieglitz was one of the twentieth century’s most gifted photographers, and his compositions are credited with influencing modern painting and sculpture in America. The author, a grand-niece of Stieglitz, brings her own memories of the man with those of his friends and contemporaries. An intimate account of a photographic genius. Enjoy!

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