Morris William Bindings (3 results)
More imagesPublished by Kelmscott Press 13 March 1894, Hammersmith 1894
Seller: Phillip J. Pirages Rare Books (ABAA), McMinnville, OR, U.S.A.Phillip J. Pirages Rare Books (ABAA)
Contact seller3-star seller148 x 105 mm. (6 x 4 1/4"). 2 p.l., 67 pp. CHARMING DARK GREEN MOROCCO ARTS & CRAFTS BINDING, GILT AND ONLAID, BY "M. E. B." (stamp-signed and dated 1903 on rear turn-in), covers with complex diapered design formed by tulip leaves and curling stems, the compartments created containing tulip blossoms or gilt dot lozenge, onlaid s…mall purple morocco dots at intersections of leaves and stems, gilt titling at center, raised bands, spine panels with gilt tulip design, gilt lettering, gilt-ruled turn-ins with tulip cornerpieces, all edges gilt. In (original?) suede-lined black morocco slipcase. With white-vine borders of twining grape clusters and leaves on the first two pages; foliated three-line woodcut initials throughout. Printed in red and black on handmade paper in Chaucer type. Peterson A-23; Sparling, p. 157; Forman 151. For the binding: Tidcombe, Women Binders, p. 186; Collier, "Biographical Sketch of Mary Ezit Bulkley" in Biographical Database of NAWSA Suffragists, 1890-1920. A CHOICE COPY, clean, fresh, and bright internally, in a sparkling, unworn binding. In a lovely Arts & Crafts binding likely by a female--and, in any case, an obviously very skilled binder--this Medieval tale in small format, translated by Morris, is one of the most charming of Kelmscott items. The plot revolves around the devoted friendship of knights Amis and Amile, as demonstrated by the sacrifices they make for one another. Amis perjures himself to save Amile, and is cursed with leprosy for this sin. When Amile learns that Amis can be cured by bathing in the blood of Amile's children, he kills his offspring. Happily, the murdered children are restored to life in recognition of Amile's devotion to his friend. The characteristically attractive Kelmscott printing, adorned with the white-vine borders the press is famous for, is perfectly complemented by the lovely Arts & Crafts binding. The "M. E. B." who executed our binding was probably Mary Ezit Bulkley (1856-1947), who worked out of the Hillside Bindery, named for its location in Hillside, Missouri, near St. Louis. She had trained in Chicago in the late 1880s under Cobden-Sanderson's pupil Ellen Gates Starr (1859-1940), whose own bindings were of very high quality (see, for example, her Doves Bible, item #196 in our Catalogue 73). Our pupil clearly learned well from her teacher/pupil, as the present volume is extraordinarily charming as a reflection of the binder's considerable delicacy in design and precision in execution. Tidcombe tells us that, in addition to her work on books, Bulkley wrote articles on binding for the publications "The Book Lover" and "The Progressive Printer." In addition, she was a major player in the suffrage movement in Missouri. She was an active member of the St. Louis Equal Suffrage League, particularly as a writer and editor of the league's monthly publication, "Missouri Woman." Her pamphlet to women voters, "Aid to the Woman Voter in Missouri," was so well-regarded that it was adapted for general voter education after the passing of the 19th Amendment. ONE OF 500 COPIES on paper (and 15 on vellum).
More imagesPublished by [Printed at the Chiswick Press for] Longmans, Green, and Co, London, New York, and Bombay 1896
Seller: Phillip J. Pirages Rare Books (ABAA), McMinnville, OR, U.S.A.Phillip J. Pirages Rare Books (ABAA)
Contact seller3-star sellerFIRST 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 lozen…ge 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.
More imagesPublished by [Printed by C. Whittingham at the Chiswick Press for] Reeves and Turner, London 1890
Seller: Phillip J. Pirages Rare Books (ABAA), McMinnville, OR, U.S.A.Phillip J. Pirages Rare Books (ABAA)
Contact seller3-star sellerFIRST 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.
