The “Melbourne Set”. Etchings by John Shirlow

Melbourne : Edward A. Vidler, 1920. Folio, gilt-lettered papered boards (a little marked), cloth spine and rope tie, light foxing to endpapers, Foreword by John Shirlow, signed colophon, six original etchings, each signed and numbered in pencil, tipped in, with captioned title labels, a fine copy.

The list of plates are:

Melbourne from the East

Morning, Elizabeth Street

“Spire of Wesley”

Melbourne from the West

Flinders Lane

The Auditorium, Collins Street

Limited to 80 numbered copies, signed by John Shirlow, with no further printings of the plates. Shirlow produced a further three folios of etchings, ‘Five etchings’ (1904) limited to 25 copies, ‘Four etchings’ (1921) limited to 57 copies, and ‘The Sydney Set’ (1918) limited to 55 copies. Of the 80 copies made of The “Melbourne Set”, ’40 copies were reserved for Australasian Collectors, 35 for Overseas Collectors and 5 Reserved for Private Circulation’ – colophon.

Shirlow writes in his Foreword ‘Melbourne City, and the smoke wind-blown from myriad chimney-tops along the geometric streets, where life throbs eager. The swaggering Block, where burgesses and leaders of the social life rub shoulders with the maid and courtesan. The sunlit steeple shadowing the slum, where wails the heathen samisen amid the murk of long-neglected shames in brick and stone – the loom of spires by Yarra-side against the evening lights. With plate and point and acid-craft I’ve sought to show the beauty of unloveliness’ – John Shirlow, Glenhuntly, Victoria, 1920.

Complete and unbroken examples of any of Shirlow’s folios are rare.