Morris William Bindings (2 results)

FIRST EDITION (but see below). 216 x 130 mm. (8 1/2 x 5 1/8"). Two volumes. REMARKABLY ANIMATED SCARLET MOROCCO, GILT, BY GIULIO GIANNINI (stamp-signed on foot of spine), covers with mitered frame of double gilt rules enclosing a foliate roll, the central compartment with floral scroll cornerpieces and a central gilt-ruled lozenge surrounding a scrolling mandorla, all studded with small floral tools and annular dots, raised bands, spine gilt in compartments with floral tools, turn-ins gilt, leather hinges, crimson endpapers in a leather-grain pattern, all edges gilt. Forman 165; LeMire A80.02. Spines evenly darkened to crimson, a handful of small stains in the text, but A BEAUTIFUL SET, nearly pristine internally, in still gleaming bindings. This first printing of Morris' fantasy novel was very handsomely bound by an esteemed Florentine workshop currently in its 170th year. Pietro Giannini (1811-82) founded his business in 1856 as a stationery store with a sideline in bookbinding. In 1878, he was joined by his son, Giulio (1853-1931), who chose to concentrate exclusively on fine bindings and other luxury leather goods, a move that transformed the business. When his son Guido Giannini Sr. (1877-1956) joined the firm in the 1890s, he commissioned a large number of bronze stamps that would allow the Gianninis to create bindings tooled in a wide range of historical styles. Some of the stamps have been put to fine use on the covers here. According to the firm's website, by the late 19th century, Florence had a substantial community of wealthy and cultured English expatriates who appreciated fine craftsmanship; this provided Giulio with "a large and faithful clientele." It seems likely that it was one of these expats who had this English novel bound by an Italian master. Today, the fifth and sixth generation of Giannini family binders operate the Giulio Giannini e Figlio in its original location in Piazza Pitti. The present printing of "Well at World's End" is considered by bibliographers the true first edition. Battling his way through the bibliographical weeds, Sparling indicates that the production of our trade edition was actually completed before the limited Kelmscott edition, even though the latter was issued first. He says, "The ordinary edition was . . . being printed for Longmans at the Chiswick Press, and the Kelmscott Press edition was set up from the sheets of this, which was ready for publication in 1894, though not actually published until October 1896, being held back in order that the Kelmscott Press edition might be the first" to appear.

FIRST EDITION. ONE OF 250 COPIES. 206 x 168 mm. (8 1/8 x 6 1/2"). 4 p.l., 424 pp. Bound (as usual) in Morris-designed floral-patterned linen, untrimmed edges. A Large Paper Copy. See: MacCarthy, "William Morris: A Life for Our Time," p. 608. Lower board just slightly warped, but the binding nevertheless extremely well preserved and retaining its unfaded colors. Rear hinge with multiple small tears, but the contents essentially pristine. Published just one year before the founding of the Kelmscott Press, this work highlights William Morris' talents as a writer and designer, and marks a critical point on his journey to become one of the most celebrated printers in history. "Roots of the Mountains" is a fantasy set in an imagined Medieval world, blending heroic romance with socialist ideals. It was highly influential in the development of modern fantasy literature, particularly inspiring writers like J. R. R. Tolkien. At least as important here is the patterned binding, a product of the Morris line of fine merchandise, which included textiles, furniture, and (after 1891) finely printed books at the Kelmscott Press. Morris had considerable input as to the design of this "Superior Edition," printed on specially-commissioned Whatman paper and bound in a linen pattern of Morris' own design. In her biography of Morris, MacCarthy quotes the author/designer as saying, "I am so pleased with my book, typography, binding, and I must say it, literary matter--that I am any day to be seen huggling it up, and becom[ing] a spectacle to Gods and men because of it." It was soon after this experience that, Morris initiated serious plans for "turning printer" himself, "in a small way." (This is a modest understatement.) The spines of copies of this work are notoriously prone to browning, and the fragile book as a whole typically appears dilapidated, so the present nearly fine copy is particularly desirable.