Prata

Tennyson; Card printed by Cheney & Sons of Banbury and 'received and approved by Lord Tennyson'. Sonnet. Dedicated to the Poet Laureate. 'O Greatest Poet of the living age!"

ref. 14862 — Cheney & Sons printers Banbury Oxfordshire. June 1892. Printed on one side of 9 x 13 cm card with rounded corners edged in silver. A tasteful example of Victorian printing by a printer whose calling card boasted of his 'Specialities in the best class of work.' Very good lightly-aged. The word 'Sonnet.' is printed at the head in gothic type the rest being in roman. The poem begins: 'O GREATEST Poet of the living age! For many a year to come thy fame will ring Throughout the land. Grateful to thee I bring A simple tribute writ on simpler page.' Beneath the sonnet to the left is the date 'June 1892.' with 'E. DRAPER' on the right along the same line. At the foot of the page is the following in italic: 'This Sonnet has been kindly received and approved by Lord Tennyson.' A scarce piece of Tennysonian memorabilia with no other copy located either on COPAC or OCLC WorldCat. The author is presumably Eleanor Draper who published a number of works in Banbury between 1892 and 1915. The printers' details are not given but the item comes from the archive of Cheney & Sons 'General Commercial & Artistic Printers Banbury'. For more about the firm see 'John Cheney and his descendants printers in Banbury since 1767' 1936 and the Victoria County History volume for the County of Oxford Banbury Hundred. [Cheney & Sons, printers, Banbury, Oxfordshire.] June, 1892. unknown