Drawing, Design for a Book Cover

The Book-Cover Designs of Alice C. Morse

Alice Morse studied drawing at the Woman’s Art School of the Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art (1879-83 and 1889-91). During the late 19th to early 20th centuries, women designers were trained in applied skills that would be beneficial both to their professional independence and to the manufacturers who would eventually employ them.[1] Women were placed by schools, like Cooper Union, into the employ of local businesses, such as Tiffany & Company, which only hired unmarried women to design for their stained-glass window studio. Morse had studied under John LaFarge at Cooper Union and it is believed, through this connection, she retained a job at Tiffany’s.[2] After five years at the stained-glass design studio, Morse outgrew the work and made a decision that would dramatically change her life: to pursue an independent career in book-cover design. For many, designing publishers’ bindings was not such a leap from stained-glass windows. Book covers and windows have defined borders that limit the artwork to a single focus.[3] Furthermore, the late 19th century saw a resurgence in handmade and artisan objects, making book-cover design one of many commercial objects that were revived with the advent of the new style.[4]

Morse’s book-cover designs incorporate characteristics of the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau, Rococo, and Classical periods and even have some Eastern influences. These designs demonstrate her versatility. As seen in My Study Fire (1943-33-1-9), Morse combines the curves of the Rococo with the symmetry and organic arrangement of Art Nouveau which had grown out of the Arts and Crafts movement. For the book cover 1943-33-1-5, she applied blue gouache in a pattern that is reminiscent of wrought iron gates, with a floral scheme and a row of delightful S-curves typically characteristic of the Rococo style.

This versatility made Morse a unique designer. Once she set out on her own, she received steady commissions from some of the most renowned publishers, such as Dodd, Mead & Company, Charles Scribner’s Sons, and G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

In the 1890s, handmade book cover designs had reached their zenith in popularity, but by the first decade of the 20th century, publishers began looking to less expensive means of attracting book buyers. Gold-stamped cloth covers were rejected in favor of illustrative ones printed on paper that was seen as more modern and economical.[5]

The book covers Morse left, distinguished by their eclectic style, remain as some of the boldest and assertive designs produced by women of the period.

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[1] Mindell Dubansky, The Proper Decoration of Book Covers: the Life and Work of Alice C. Morse, with essays by Alice Cooney Frelinghuysen and Josephine M. Dunn (New York: Grolier Club, 2008), 10.

[2] Ibid., 11.

[3] Ibid., 12.

[4] Ibid., 33.

[5] Ibid., 83.

Drawing, Design for a Book Cover; Designed by Alice Cordelia Morse (American, 1863–1961); USA; brush and gouache, gold paint on paper; Mount: 19.8 x 13 x 0.1 cm (7 13/16 x 5 1/8 x 1/16 in.); 1943-33-1-5