From the moment of its publication, Elihu Vedder's Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám achieved unparalleled success. The first edition appeared in Boston on 8 November 1884; six days later, it was sold out. Critics rushed to acclaim it as a masterwork of American art, and Vedder (1836 - 1923) as the master American artist. Now, over a hundred years after their first publication, all of Vedder's designs for the book, except the small publisher's mark, are available online from the Smithsonian American Art Museum's collection. Collections & Exhibitions | American Art Home