[King James Version].Biblio.com
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Best.-Nr. 123842Cambridge Printed by J. Smith Printer to the University 1815. . Stereotype edition; large 8vo 23 x 15 cm; foxing to title moderate spotting throughout ownership inscription in pen to title MS notes in pen to free endpapers related family history notes loose to rear later endappers gutter-margins reinforced; contemporary straight-grained end morocco covers ruled in gilt and blind rebacked original gilt spine in 6-compartments laid down gauffered edges slightly rubbed with loss to corners and edges. A stereotype edition of the King James Bible bound in contemporary red morocco gilt. 'William Ged 1690-1749 the inventor of stereotyping obtained in 1731 a contract for printing Prayer Books and Bibles for Cambridge University. But he completed only two Prayer Books and surrendered his lease in 1738. Thwarted at every turn by trade jealousy he failed in all his attempts to establish a business. "Subsequently Andrew Wilson the Earl of Stanhope's practical man starting where Ged left off worked out the plaster-of-Paris plan that preceded the papier-mâché system which has established stereotyping in its present position"' Herbert. Cambridge, Printed by J. Smith, Printer to the University, 1815. unknown
1920Best.-Nr. 514000Cambridge University Press / James Pott and Co 1920. Leather. NEAR FINE. Undated but ca. 1920 -- title page states Printed by J. B. Peace whose term as Printer at Cambridge lasted from 1916-1922. 4x5.25' Amethyst setting dual columns with center refs. Smyth-sewn binding with overcast stitching in Black 'French Morocco' leather with 3/4 yapp all edges Art Gilt. 4 1119 153 Concordance pp. 12 color lithograph maps. Some trivial wear to the edges with a few short tears some separation at both outer gatherings--an 'inherent vice' kind of flaw with overcast-stitching bindings. Otherwise an exceedingly clean and sharp copy with crisp fresh pages and nice supple leather. Cambridge University Press / James Pott and Co unknown
Best.-Nr. 123826Edinburgh Printed by James Watson one of Her Majesty's Printers. Sold at his shop next door to the Red-Lyon opposition to the Lucken-Booths 1714. . 12mo 15 x 9 cm; engraved title-page woodcut headpiece and ornaments; nineteenth-century purple calf covers with blind-tooled barbed-rectangle centrepiece within gilt roll border gilt spine contrasting black morocco lettering-piece all edges gilt slightly rubbed spine a little faded very good. A handsome pocket-edition of the King James Bible from the last year of the reign of Queen Anne 1665-1714 bound with a metrical psalms in a blind-tooled purple calf binding of the nineteenth-century. Edinburgh, Printed by James Watson, one of Her Majesty's Printers. Sold at his shop next door to the Red-Lyon, opposition to the unknown
Best.-Nr. 123861London Printed at London by Robert Barker Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie: and by the assignes of John Bill et al. 1639-1640. . Three works bound in 1 vol.; 8vo 19 x 12.5 cm; NT title dated 1639 ruled in red throughout woodcut general and NT titles to the Bible and Book of Common Prayer woodcut vignette of Adam and Eve before Genesis woodcut initials head and tailpieces 19th-century endpapers with extensive manuscript genealogy in pen dampstaining particularly affecting opening quire of the Bible and quires F through to I the occasional tear with minor loss to text; 19th century diced calf covers with flower and leaf gilt roll rebacked original spine laid down corners rubbed with loss very good. This edition marked a 'new form of octavo Bible in somewhat larger type with 72 lines to the full page' Herbert. A pleasing example of this mid-seventeenth-century octavo King James Bible ruled in red throughout with the biblical Apocrypha and bound with The Book of Common Prayer and The Whole Book of the Psalmes. ESTC S102186; Herbert 546; DM 423. London, Printed at London by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most Excellent Majestie: and by the assignes of John Bill et al unknown
Best.-Nr. 124311London Printed at London by Robert Barker Printer to the Kings most excellent Majesttie and by the Assignes of John Bill 1632-1633. . Four works in 1 vol.; folio 35.5 x 23.5 cm; engraved general title signed 'Guilielmus Hole' partially burnished out as noted by ESTC with date in imprint altered to read '1633' on the plate engraved NT title dated 1632 full-page woodcut illustration of Adam & Eve to verso of A10 final f. of preliminaries note ff A7-8 with incorrect printed signatures as A6-7 woodcut initials head and tailpieces further illustrated with Speed's genealogies and double-page map of Canaan occasional toning final f. of Psalmes laid down title of Common Prayer affixed via stub Speed map with loss to central portion of design with final f. reinforced to verso at gutter margin and tape repair to margin A1 of Old Testament with closed tear crudely repaired lower margin of Adam & Eve woodcut with tape repair not affecting design some further closed repairs throughout later endpapers; contemporary calf gilt lozenge device to covers bisecting the initials 'I' and 'E' gilt faded upper brass clasp in working order remnants of the lower clasp joints and corners expertly restored very good. A very well preserved folio edition of the King James Bible complete in the original clasped calfskin binding with Speed's Genealogies including his double-page engraved map of Canaan The Book of Common Prayer and Sternhold & Hopkins' Psalmes. The elaborate title border is that engraved by William Hole d.1624 which had been used before in the folio Geneva Bible of 1607. 'As a copperplate-engraver Hole remained a specialist in engraving maps music and lettering. and he stands at the head of the seventeenth-century tradition of engravers who worked for writing-masters. He engraved the plates to Martin Billingsley's The Pens Excellencie or The Secretaries Delighte of 1618 the first important English engraved copybook dedicated to Charles as Prince of Wales and he was also responsible for the first engraved plates of music made outside Italy: the famous Parthenia of 161213 which contained music by William Byrd John Bull and Orlando Gibbons and Angelo Notari's Prime musiche nuove of 1613' ODNB. Our example a variant with the date in the imprint of the engraved general title altered on the plate to read '1633'. ESTC S122379 variant; Herbert 466; DM 359. London, Printed at London by Robert Barker, Printer to [the] Kings most excellent Ma[jes]ttie and by the Assignes of John Bill, unknown
Best.-Nr. 124312London Printed by John Field 1648. . 4to 24 x 18 cm; without the Apocrypha engraved general title slightly cropped at foot of engraved area with the sculpture's signature just cut through and re-margined later inscriptions in pen to margins letterpress NT title text block toned with some damp-staining to gutter margin of first 6 quires occasional spotting; 17th century dark brown goatskin the covers panelled in gilt with filets and a roll between the panels tooled in blind with fern fronds adorned with engraved-silver centre and corner pieces and clasps in full working order the upper centrepiece with monogram 'AA' the lower with engraved armorial device of three mullets of six points all pierced within a lozenge border rebacked preserving the original gilt spine which has been laid down all edges gilt the lower spine-side corner piece of the lower board loose from fitting a little rubbed overall an excellent example. The King James Version splendidly preserved in an English Restoration binding of gilt panelled dark brown morocco furnished in silver with engraved centrepieces bearing the monogram 'AA' and the armorial device of three mullets or six points pierces cornerpieces and clasps in full working order. Binding 'furniture' originally served a functional purpose with bosses and cornerpieces helping to protect the covers from wear and tear and clasps employed to prevent the parchment leaves of manuscript books from warping. The advent of paper and the movement away from wood to pasteboard had largely made these features redundant by the end of the seventeenth century. Instead as here metalwork survived as a decorative feature which enhanced the binding of important devotional works whilst also helping to keep these texts which were more likely to be carried about secure see David Pearson English Bookbinding Styles 1450-1800 pp26-30. Our example is bound without the Apocrypha. Darlow and Moule note that the Apocrypha in their example no. 469 is possibly supplied from another edition and that a different copy is lacking the Apocrypha. ESTC R37304; Herbert 605; DM 469; Wing B2225A. London, Printed by Joh[n] Field, 1648. unknown
Best.-Nr. 123903London Printed by Robert Barker Printer to the Kings most excellent Majestie and by the assignes of John Bill 1639. . Three works in 1 vol.; 4to 23.5 x 18 cm; woodcut general and NT titles woodcut initials head and tailpieces printed in ruled border ownership inscriptions in pen to verso of general title NT title A3 and 2Z1 recto later pen inscription to fore-edge margin of 3E1 and 3G8 verso slightly toned with occasional light dampstaining and the old small hole with minor loss to text of 3Z2-3 final f. of Book of Psalmes frayed with slight loss to corners and with small tear at gutter margin repaired in tape Book of Common Prayer defective lacking title-page and opening 2 preliminary ff later endpapers; contemporary calf gilt lozenge centrepiece to covers formed of floral tools rebacked slight rubbed and abraded with loss to gilt very good. A quarto edition of the King James Bible dating to the first year of the Wars of the Three Kingdoms the period of political and social instability that led ultimately to the execution of King Charles ten-years later in 1649 and the establishment of the republican Commonwealth of England in 1653. This edition with the Apocrypha and bound with Sternehold's Booke of Psalmes and a defective Book of Common Prayer lacking the title-page and two preliminary leaves all dating from the year 1639. A handsome copy in contemporary calf the covers with a gilt-tooled lozenge centrepiece formed of floral devices. ESTC S117092; Herbert 539; DM 417. London, Printed by Robert Barker, Printer to the Kings most excellent Majestie, and by the assignes of John Bill, 1639. unknown
Best.-Nr. 121306Oxford Printed at the Clarendon Press by Samuel Collingwood and Co. 1826. . Stereotype edition; 24mo 15 x 9 cm; a little browned; contemporary straight-grained red morocco spine lettered in gilt all edges gilt slightly rubbed with minor loss to extremities very good. A handsome Georgian stereotype King James Bible bound in contemporary red morocco gilt. 'William Ged 1690-1749 the inventor of stereotyping obtained in 1731 a contract for printing Prayer Books and Bibles for Cambridge University. But he completed only two Prayer Books and surrendered his lease in 1738. Thwarted at every turn by trade jealousy he failed in all his attempts to establish a business. "Subsequently Andrew Wilson the Earl of Stanhope's practical man starting where Ged left off worked out the plaster-of-Paris plan that preceded the papier-mâché system which has established stereotyping in its present position"' Herbert. Oxford, Printed at the Clarendon Press, by Samuel Collingwood and Co., 1826. unknown
Best.-Nr. 121818Oxford Printed at the Clarendon Press by Dawson Bensley and Cooke Printers to the University 1800. . 8vo 21.5 x 14 cm; ownership inscriptions in pen to front endpapers light spotting 3I4 upper corner torn with slight loss to text and starting to detach at lower gutter margin small wormhole affecting title and preliminary ff; contemporary panelled calf rubbed with loss to corners and spine ends very good. A handsome King James Bible in a contemporary panelled calf binding. Herbert 1446. Oxford, Printed at the Clarendon Press, by Dawson, Bensley, and Cooke, Printers to the University, 1800. unknown
Best.-Nr. 104192London Printed by Thomas Baskett 1751. . 2 vols bound in 4; folio 41.5 x 27 cm; text in two columns ruled in red two printed title-pages extra-illustrated with 213 engraved plates 29 double-page marbled endpapers some minor marginal staining to some plates bookplates; bound in contemporary navy morocco gilt with the arms of the second duke of Newcastle all edges gilt the border beautifully decorated with an elaborate gilt design spines also gilt in compartments gilt edges bindings slightly faded extremities very slightly rubbed; otherwise a very good copy. A fine copy of this rare bible with superb provenance. Extra-illustrated with 213 engraved plates including 29 double-page. The plates have captions in several languages including English and Hebrew and the artists include G. Hoet A. Houbraken and Bernard Picart. This scarce edition includes both the Old and New Testaments and the Apocrypha. It is notable for being the first folio size edition published by Thomas Baskett the son of the King's Printer John Baskett who first starting printing bibles in London in 1711. Thomas inherited his father's printing house and his title as King's Printer. His reputation grew and his bibles were the first English bibles to be printed in America in 1761. This finely bound copy is from the library of Henry Fiennes Pelham-Clinton 2nd Duke of Newcastle under Lyne 1720-1794 who inherited the dukedom from his uncle in 1768. He held many other prestigious posts such as Gentleman of the Bedchamber to George II and George III and several official posts including Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire 1742-1757 High Steward of Westminster 1759-1794 and Comptroller of Customs of the Port of London 1749-1794. Herbert 1091. London, Printed by Thomas Baskett, 1751. unknown
Best.-Nr. 333263New York: Abradale Press N.D. Bible. Hardcover. Very Good in leatherbound boards. Gilded text block edges. Some pages stuck together.; 4to 11" - 13" tall. Abradale Press hardcover
2010Best.-Nr. 058440Oxford: Oxford University Press 2010. Second Impression . Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good Plus. Folio - 14 x 12 Inches Tall. Engraved Title-page. OXFORD : 2010. LEATHER-BOUND in SLIPCASE. 400th Anniversary facsimile edition of first publication. Hardback. Dark-red leather; gilt lettered spine with gilt 'Oxford' motif to cover. All edges gilt. Dark-red end-papers; two red ribbon markers. A high-quality production. No owner name or internal markings. Bright tight and clean. Minor use. NEAR FINE. Cloth-covered slipcase; gilt lettered and ruled. Slipcase has minor wear only. VERY GOOD. Heavy book; extra postage needed. Will be well-packed for posting/shipping. Folio; approx. 14 x 12 inches. Rosley Books for Antiquarian books CHS Cumberland Everyman GKC Inklings Keswick Literature MacDonald Rarities Theology and History. . Oxford University Press hardcover
2010Best.-Nr. 058441Oxford: Oxford University Press 2010. First Thus . Hardcover. Near Fine/Very Good Plus. Folio - 14 x 12 Inches Tall. Engraved Title-page. FIRST PRINTING OXFORD : 2010. LEATHER-BOUND in SLIPCASE. 400th Anniversary facsimile edition of first publication. Hardback. Dark-red leather; gilt lettered spine with gilt 'Oxford' motif to cover. All edges gilt. Dark-red end-papers; two red ribbon markers. A high-quality production. No owner name or internal markings. Bright tight and clean. Minor use. NEAR FINE. Cloth-covered slipcase; gilt lettered and ruled. Slipcase has minor wear only. VERY GOOD. Heavy book; extra postage needed. Will be well-packed for posting/shipping. Folio; approx. 14 x 12 inches. Rosley Books for Antiquarian books CHS Cumberland Everyman GKC Inklings Keswick Literature MacDonald Rarities Theology and History. . Oxford University Press hardcover
Best.-Nr. 318082Boston: Christian Science Publishing Society N.D. First Edition; First Printing. Softcover. Very Good in leatherbound wraps. Silk ribbon page marker. Gilded text block edges. Christian Science Publishing Society unknown
Best.-Nr. 312812New York: Harper & Brothers N.D. Bible. Softcover. Very Good in leatherbound wraps. Foxing on gilded text block edges. Silk ribbon page marker. Open tearing on fifth front end page bottom corner. Harper & Brothers unknown
Best.-Nr. 312809New York: Harper & Brothers N.D. Bible. Softcover. Very Good in leatherbound wraps. Gilded text block edges. Silk ribbon page marker. Owner name emblazoned on front panel. Owner personalization inked on second front end page. Light foxing throughout text block. Shelfwear and small closed tears on spine heel. Light scratching on front panel. Harper & Brothers unknown
Best.-Nr. 0520OBSJPC1Leather Bound. Very Good. London: Joseph Frowd & Co. nd 1870 for Old Testament and London: George E. Eyre and Wm. Spottiswoode Very good full brown leather bright gilt stamped cross front cover gilt lettering and five raised bands on spine gilt floral edgework inside covers. All edges gilt. 839 pages 6 colored maps. King James Bible. Undated. Previous owner Cyril YOUNG small name stamps on title page. On the first blank page after dark green endpapers "CYRIL YOUNG from his Godparents: Walter Federick / Catherine Harriet Rovsell-- Febr'y 2 1875 or 1845" Under the inscription: color litho of JC in purple robe with compass in carpenter's shop "LET US WORK WITH JESUS" pl. # 653 IMp. Bouasse-Lebel. Full Leather. Very Good brief edgewear. 8vo. Inside front cover: Gorgeous steel engraving with lace border Young Jesus Hammering "Je suis pauvre dans les travaux des ma jeunnesse." Tours: Engr. BERTHIAULT. hardcover
1763Best.-Nr. 184488Cambridge: printed by John Baskerville 1763. An outstanding synthesis of fine printing illustration and binding First Baskerville edition: a spectacular copy of one of the greatest English Bibles and a crowning achievement of English printing in a magnificent Staggemeier and Welcher binding and abundantly extra-illustrated with 287 Old Master engravings. The copy adorned two of the greatest book collections of the last two centuries: the library of the Dukes of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace and of Estelle Doheny in California. Friedrich Leberecht Staggemeier 1759-1827 was esteemed for his elaborately decorated neoclassical bindings. He partnered with Samuel Welcher from 1799 to 1810 and the pair catered to the highest echelons of the market. Extra-illustration was a distinguishing feature of this market: here 171 of the illustrations are from Bernard Picart and Gerard Hoet's Figures de la Bible The Hague 1728 and 58 are from Pierre Mortier's Bible Amsterdam and Antwerp 1700 while others are from Jan Luyken's Icones Biblica Veteris et N. Testamenti Amsterdam 1729 and other sources. The extravagant binding and extra-illustration were commissioned by the first owner the collector and scholar Jacob Bryant. In 1804 he bequeathed the Bible to his patron George Spencer 4th Duke of Marlborough. It remained in the duke's collection at Blenheim Palace until 1881 when it passed to Fanny Octavia Louisa daughter of the 7th duke. Her descendants sold the book and it passed via Dawson's Book Shop to Estelle Doheny one of the greatest collectors of the 20th century where it joined her Gutenberg Bible and other landmarks of printing history. She bequeathed it to St. John's Seminary which sold it and the rest of Doheny's collection in 1988 where it realized $11000. Bound in 2 vols large folio 518 x 343 mm pp. 1146. Extra-illustrated with 287 Old Master engravings of which 198 are single page and 84 double each mounted mostly within a black ink and pale yellow wash frame. Late 18th- or early 19th-century red straight-grain morocco by L. Staggemeier & Welcher of London binder's ticket green morocco labels richly gilt in compartments wide gilt borders to covers gilt Greek-key turn-ins green watered-silk linings with gilt grapevine borders all edges gilt. Joints and extremities restored scattered light offsetting from plates and foxing else contents fresh very minor worming to front endpapers of first volume: a beautiful copy. ESTC T93106; Gaskell 26; Herbert 1146. unknown
1613Best.-Nr. D15149London: Robert Barker 1613. First Edition thus. Full Calf. Good. 4to 8 1/2 x 6 1/8 in.; 216 x 156 mm. Black letter text in double columns 71 lines to the full column New Testament title in heart-shaped center within woodcut border woodcut initials head-and tailpieces. The First Quarto Edition of the King James Bible in black letter with "he" in Ruth 3:15. "This and many subsequent issues were produced in close imitation of those black-letter quarto editions of the Geneva Bible which had proved so popular." Herbert As they are often found our copy is imperfect bound with additional bits and pieces also imperfect Our copy is lacking preliminary quire A including general title scattered browning and staining throughout two tears just touching text two holes costing a few words. Bound before the Bible: An imperfect and defective copy of the Book of Common Prayer lacks all before quire B; and Speed's Genealogies stained throughout without the map of Canaan. Bound after the Bible: the 1615 edition of Herrey's Concordances last two leaves defective; and Sternhold & Hopkins' metrical psalms lacks title-page quite stained and frayed toward the end. Bound in Eighteenth-century tree calf; worn joints cracked but generally sound. Label to spine states it incorrectly as Geneva Bible. Our copy has an interesting line of provenance as follows: William Albin several signatures dated 1727 1729 and 1732 Theophilus Jones gift inscription to Thomas G. Evans dated 1867 Birth records of the Welsh family Evans 18471874 in one hand on flyleaf Christmas Evans inscription dated 1935; Evans's probable namesake and ancestor was the famous Welsh Noncomformist minister Christmas Evans 17661838 $5500 Robert Barker unknown
Best.-Nr. ria9781773350707_inpHardcover. New. New Book; Fast Shipping from UK; Not signed; Not First Edition; This hardcover collector's edition is cleanly formatted for easy reading. 12 point Garamond 1.15 spacing. Translated out of the original tongues with the former translations diligently compared and revised by King James' spec hardcover
1638Best.-Nr. 022099Cambridge: Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel 1638. . Your chance to own a complete Bible apart from one leaf printed only 27 years after the King James Version first came out - a huge one 15 inches tall similar to the pictures you may have seen of original 1611 editions. Hinges and extremities have wear and tear and clasps are missing. Early and late pages have furrows perhaps suggesting moisture issues long ago. A few small holes to pages appear to have been caused by rust and therefore presumably contamination of the paper by specks of ferrous metal. There are no extra materials apart from the translators' addresses to King James and to the reader at the front and the Apocrypha located between the Old and New Testaments. No endpapers - inside of front cover has old stamps of Thomas Garbutt Linen and Woollen Draper Barnard Castle likely from 100 or more years ago. The date of 1638 which is printed on the NT title page has also been added in an old but plain style in black pen at the bottom of the illustrated main title page which is a bit worn and grubby. Page 611-612 middle of Hosea is missing seeming at first glance not to have been present but in fact some tiny fragments do appear at the spine. The last page of text is dilapidated but the text of it seems near complete. Some old repairs have been made to borders of pages by pasting on paper which mostly seems of a similar nature to the original and in general when doing this care seems to have been taken not to obscure the text. The exterior is not elaborate but has a 3 inch long rhombus shaped area of gilt decoration to the middle of each of the two boards; there is no lettering or decoration to the spine. There are pictorial drop initials at the beginning of each book of the Bible and Apocrypha. This specific printing is said to have remained the standard text until the printing of Dr Paris' Cambridge edition of 1762. Leather. Average. Folio - over 12" - 15" tall. Thomas Buck and Roger Daniel Hardcover
1696Best.-Nr. 176200Oxford: University Press 1696. Passed down through several generations of women A richly decorated personal bible with extensive female provenance. Annotations to the front free endpaper record its passage between at least four generations of women from the Worsley family who were based around the Bristol area. The earliest dated inscription is from 1835 by which point the Bible had been in the family for over 50 years. The women recorded in the multiple annotations include Sarah Worsley c.1776-1843 Anne Worsley née Taylor c.1807-1877 Anna Worsley c.1835-1906 and Muriel Anne Worsley née Smith 1878-1975. It is possible that the Bible was given as a wedding gift to women who married into the Worsley family. Duodecimo 143 x 90 mm: A-2T12; 504 leaves unnumbered. Early 18th century black roan spine with four raised bands and full gilt panels concentric gilt frames to covers with floral cornerpieces and ornaments marbled endpapers gilt edges 19th-century metal corners and clasps. Spine and joints repaired and retouched. One metal corner missing gilt a slightly darkened corner of B2 repaired pages occasionally a little closely trimmed. In very good condition. ESTC R25628; Darlow & Moule 842; Wing B2369. hardcover
1950Best.-Nr. 328623New York: P. J. Kenedy & Sons 1950. First Edition; First Printing. Hardcover. Very Good in boards. Gilded top text block edge. Silk ribbon page marker. P. J. Kenedy & Sons hardcover
1938Best.-Nr. 321715Los Angeles: C.F. Horan & Co 1938. Leather. Fair. 1476p OT; 415 NT; color maps. A flexible hardcover book bound in black leather and encased in a bonded leather dustwrapper. Good condition overall. Front endpapers and first several pages are dampstained at the top. Scribbled-out owner's inscription at top of title page. Scattered highlighting and underlining mostly in the New Testament. Some torn page margins where the section tabs were handled roughly. The binding is still tight despite some wear in the gutters of the endpapers. A much-used but nicely readable copy. Vintage Douay-Rheims Bible with protruding section tabs. This edition contains the now-obscure 1935 James Carey revision of the New Testament which would be replaced in 1941 by the Confraternity translation. Measures approx. 7" x 4.75". The family record section has not been filled out. C.F. Horan & Co unknown
1785Best.-Nr. 173867Bath: printed by R. Cruttwell; and sold by Rivingtons' Dilly Robson & Robinsons' 1785. With three Biblical fore edge paintings An imposing Bible handsomely bound by Edwards of Halifax in their celebrated "Etruscan" style. The set is unusual in featuring motifs relevant to the contents on all three fore-edges - scenes from the Old and New Testaments - as opposed to the more typical landscapes. Edwards famously almost never signed their bindings and their style was very frequently reproduced by others. This set is cited by Weber in his Annotated Dictionary of Fore-Edge Paintings as "a notable Bible from the Edwards bindery" Weber 2010 p. 118-9 and it is used as an example in a chapter devoted to distinguishing genuine Edwards bindings and paintings from imitations. The technique of concealing a painting under the gilt fore edge of books was revived in England by William Edwards about 1780. "The Edwards family not only carried on the art but enlarged it from the mainly floral and heraldic early efforts with occasional religious scenes and royal portraits to embrace views of well-known country houses set in landscapes" Marks p. 194. They were the originators of the bucolic English fore-edge painting which became standard in the 19th century. Scholars believe that the paintings were made in Halifax rather than in London by artists both within and outside the family and under the supervision of Thomas Edwards. Inspiration for the images was taken from various sources often engravings appearing in other books; for landscapes the favourite artist was William Gilpin a pioneer of the "picturesque". Volume I features a moment from Genesis: Abraham welcoming three angels into his home an act of hospitality which moved the Lord to bless Abraham and his wife with a son despite she was far beyond childbearing age. On Volume II is an episode from Exodus: an Egyptian princess and her attendants discover the infant Moses in the bulrushes of the Nile. Volume III displays an animated scene from the life of St. Paul as he preaches in Rome. The "Etruscan" style binding with a border of palmettes and other classical ornaments stencilled in black on brown calf was one of the firm's most popular designs. The origin of this style is debated: some 19th-century writers attributed the invention to John Whitaker while others ascribe it to the Edwards firm. It is known that Edwards employed it from at least 1775. Provenance: a Herman Frasch Whiton probably the American sailor and Olympic champion 1904-1967 with his elaborately designed bookplate featuring his arms and a ship on the verso of an initial blank in each volume. b Randall J. Moskovitz MD American collector from Memphis Tennessee with his bookplates loosely inserted. 3 vols large quarto 306 x 238 mm. Contemporary "Etruscan" calf by Edwards of Halifax spines with raised bands compartments tooled in gilt with flower and urn centerpieces and pediment cornerpieces black morocco labels covers with gilt pentaglyph and metope border stencilled frame of palmettes central panel of tree calf enclosed by gilt Greek key roll board edges and turn-ins tooled in gilt marbled endpapers each vol. with a contemporary fore-edge painting depicting a Scriptural scene edges gilt green silk bookmarkers. Spines uniformly darkened binding judiciously refurbished joints and spine ends repaired gilt retouched on spine light rubbing to palmettes design in places intermittent foxing and slight toning else clean the fore-edge paintings beautifully preserved. A handsome set. P. J. M. Marks "The Edwards of Halifax Bindery" British Library Journal vol. 24 no. 2 1998; Jeff Weber Annotated Dictionary of Fore-Edge Painting Artists & Binders 2010. See also: G. E. Bentley The Edwardses of Halifax 2015; Carl J. Weber Fore-Edge Painting 1966. hardcover
