Rules, they say, are meant to be broken. I’m going to break two of my own rules, just so I can tell you about something special; then, I’m just as quickly going to glue them back together and put them back in place.
The rules, as outlined in my information on Suggesting a Site to Lines and Colors, are that I don’t write about or link to Kickstarter projects — or Indiegogo or similar project fundraising campaigns (just out of self-defense, as I get too many requests as it is), and that I don’t link to Facebook pages, or other sites that require a membership or login to see major parts of the content (for this same reason, I no longer link to the New York Times of the Art Renewal Center).
I’m breaking my rules to tell you about a Kickstarter project to make possible a new, possibly best ever, and likely last issue of the terrific magazine showcase for classic illustration, The Vadeboncoeur Collection of ImageS #13.
I’ve written before about The Vadeboncoeur Collection of ImageS (back in 2008), and Vadeboncoeur’s JVJ Publishing (in 2011), through which the dyed in the wool illustration enthusiast has brought us superbly produced and printed examples of some of the greatest, and often long ignored, 19th and early 20th century illustration.
Over the past 13 years, Vadeboncoeur has managed to come up with the funds to print the past 12 issues on his own; but it’s been three and a half years since the previous issue, and faced with particularly high printing costs for this special issue, he is asking for the community of those of us who love classic illustration to support him by coming up with half of the estimated printing and distribution costs for the new issue.
Part of what makes the issue special is the effort Vadeboncoeur has taken the effort to painstakingly restore 8 beautifully ornate illustrations by Louis Chalon, originally printed in the December issue of the French magazine Figaro Illustré (images above, second and third down), in which the illustrator’s intention that the printed illustrations incorporate a gilt element that he designed was not properly realized in the actual printing of the time.
It’s Vadeboncoeur’s goal that they see the light of day as the original artist intended, and he has backed that up not only with more than a year of his own work, but with a rounding out of the issue with a terrific selection of more great illustration art.
There is a description of the project, along with a video of Vadeboncoeur describing his aspiration to do these illustrations justice, on the project’s Kickstarter page, along with a few images and some background on the magazine and his history as a publisher.
There are additional images, both planned for inclusion in issue 13 (remaining images, above), and a from past issue that is out of print (#4), on the JVJ Publishing Facebook page.
You can see more about The Vadeboncoeur Collection of ImageS, and order back issues, on the JVJ Publishing website.
The Kickstarter campaign for ImageS Magazine #13 runs to May 29, 2014.
The level of contribution at which you receive an issue of the magazine is just $25, which is the usual cover price for recent issues.
The campaign is 40% funded, and if it goes over the $8,800.00 goal to a level of $10,000, Vadeboncoeur will expand the issue from 44 to 52 pages, with no addition to the price.
I now return you to my previously enforced rules about not covering Kickstarter campaigns or linking to Facebook pages.
