The Book of Common Prayer; [bound with] A New Version of the Psalms of David.

LEIGHTON, John (designer).

Published by London: George E. Eyre and Andrew Spottiswoode, 1845

About this Item

An excellent example of the binding design and illustrations of John Leighton (1822-1912), produced after the Great Exhibition of 1851, at which he won a medal. This volume is extra-illustrated bound to a design reflecting the gothic tastes of the 1850s and 60s. Leighton worked under the pseudonym Luke Limner. His father and uncle traded as the bookbinders J. and J. Leighton, whose binder's stamp is found on this volume. He was "significant because he was popular and active in so many fields. He was one of the earliest purely commercial artists produced by the Industrial Revolution: besides his work for book and magazine publishers (which included decorations and illustrations) he designed Christmas cards, bank notes, seals and medallions, playing cards and other graphic items, as well as doing some work in photography. Leighton was a good craftsman, who fully understood the limitations and possibilities of the media he employed" (McLean, p. 156). Ruari McLean, Victorian Book Design and Colour Printing, 1972. Duodecimo (145 x 80 mm). Frontispiece, 8 plates and illustrated title page, contents printed in red and black. Bound c.1851 by Leighton in dark calf, red morocco label lettered in gothic gilt script, compartments and boards tooled in blind with tudor roses, three raised roundels to each board with red straight-grain morocco onlays tooled with two gilt floriated crosses and a gilt Arma Christi in the central roundel, foliate gilt roll to board edges and turn-ins, chromolithographed endpapers, metal clasp etched with nativity scene on front board and passion of Christ on rear, gauffered gilt edges painted with black fleur-de-lys on red ground on each edge, twin red bookmarkers. Housed in a contemporary morocco-grain paper covered slipcase and modern solander box. Calf a touch mottled, light offsetting and foxing to contents. A near-fine copy.

Seller Inventory # 180402

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Book of Common Prayer; [bound with] A New Version of the Psalms of David.
• Publisher: London: George E. Eyre and Andrew Spottiswoode, 1845