The Books and Their Donor

Front cover of volume one, note the raw silk cover and unique binding for both volumes.

Front cover view of volume two, each volume is a rectangle measuring 37 x 51 cm or 14 ½ inches x 20 inches.

Black and white diagram at the beginning of volume one for reference.

Balck and white diagram of shells at the beginning of volume two for reference.

Humboldt State Library Special Collections donor commemoration label in each volume.

Illustrations of Japanese Aquatic Plants and Animals is a two volume set. Volume one was published in 1931 and is comprised of images of sea mammals, sea turtles, rays, fishes and the like. Volume two was published in 1932 and houses shells, corals, jellyfish, octopuses, squid, shrimp and other aqatic life such as sea cucumbers. Each image is thoughtful and unique and although little is known about Kumataro Itō his highly detailed work speaks volumes. 

The size of each book from the Japanese Aquatic set is a rectangle measuring 37 x 51 cm or 14 ½ x 20 inches. They are cloth bound with raw silk, an appealing tactile choice, in a warm mid tone tan brown color. Their binding is nontraditional and is double anchored with two sets of white string knots on the binding, one on top and one at the bottom, each knot is anchored through four grommets set in a small rectangle. The title is bilingual printed in a gold sheen ink on a small dark brown rectangular square on the upper left hand of the cover.

A unique biographical point about this particular set is that the donor of Illustrations of Japanese Aquatic Plants and Animals to Humboldt State University was a previous assistant biology professor at the university, John Hammond Lewis 1913-1949. There is a blue donation form in the beginning of the text (see image) and it notes Mr. Lewis' name, life dates, and his associate professor title at Humboldt State along with his length of employ which was from 1947-1949. This blue ‘A Gift Of…’ paper dedication note in the front of the text is a personal reminder that this set came from someone important to the school and the community as evidenced from his obituary which reveals that he was, "Widely known and well liked by all of his associates."

Mr. Lewis was born in 1913 in Fernley, Nevada and spent three years service in the Navy overseas in Guam; it is possible although not confirmed that he may have picked up the Illustrations of Japanese Aquatic Plants and Animals set during this time period due to the location of the publisher in Tokyo, Japan. Post service he received his M.S. in 1947 after study at Oregon State. Afterwards he, "came to Humboldt State College and was placed in charge of the Wildlife Management courses. Under his direction the department mushroomed from a bare handful of students to over 100 in three years. He was especially proud of his "wildlifers" and maintained a high espirit de corps among the students." Sadly Mr. John Lewis' life was cut short by an automobile accident in 1949 and he was survived by his wife Mrs. J Lewis and his four children.