London: Archibald Constable & Co, 1909. Hardcover. Cyril Davenport (1848-1941) was a bookbinder and author who wrote extensively on the history of bookbinding. He also wrote on topics as diverse as jewelry design, architecture, heraldry, the English royal regalia, mezzotints and other types of illustrative reproduction. This book by Davenport was owned by Thomas Parkin, who apparently organized a series of lectures by him on some of his areas of expertise, including one on heraldry. Tipped in are several articles from 1914 from the Hastings and St. Leonards Observer reporting on the talks. Tipped in is a note from Davenport to Parkin about an upcoming visit. Another note from an unidentified correspondent to Parkin cancels a visit and asks about one of Davenport's books about bindings. Tipped in the rear of the book is a 1910 copy of the Journal of the Royal Society of the Arts that includes the text of a Davenport lecture on miniatures. Bound in maroon cloth that is bumped with signs of handling and with a faded spine. Interior pages are clean and bright. Illustrated throughout with black and white images of the book stamps. Very good. Small octavo. 451 pages, BOB/040521. Very Good. More

London and New Castle, DE: The British Library and Oak Knoll Press, [2003]. Hardcover. A scholarly and detailed bibliography for the publisher's trade bindings in the mid-1800s. After the introduction and preface the bibliography is arranged alphabetically by the names of the designers of the bindings. They include artists such as Charles Henry Bennett, Walter Crane, Richard Doyle, Owen Jones, John Leighton, and Dante Gabriel Rossetti and more. The bibliography is followed by a list of bookbinders' tickets, and 91 color plates arranged three or four to a page. Bound in dark blue cloth with gilt titling to spine and front cover. In near fine condition. Measures 8.75 x 11.25 inches. 324 pages. BOB/011621. Near Fine. More

London: Joseph Smith, 1873. Hardcover. Scarce comprehensive bibliography of books written by authors opposed to Quakerism and the Society of Friends. The works cited date from the 1600s. It excludes negative books written by former members of the Society as they were incuded in Smith's Catalogue of Friends' Books. Bound in three quarter brown leather with red and blue marbled boards and gilt titling to spine. Some scuffs to leather and paper boards. Interior is clean and in very good condition. May be ex-library with a stamp rubbed out on title page and remnants of something glued to rear free endpaper. Very Good. More

Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1968. Hardcover. Two volumes bound in grey cloth boards with gilt titles to spine. Clean and bright. Both are in white dust jackets with black titles to spine panels. The spine panel of first volume is turquoise and the second volume is maroon. Light wear to edges of jackets, else fine. 304 pages in volume 1; 268 in volume 2. BOB/022621. Fine / Near Fine. More

London: Day and Son, 1860. Hardcover. "Illustrated by Borders, Initial Letters, and Alphabets Selected & Chromolithographed by W. R. Tymms with an Essay and Instructions by M. D. Wyatt Arch. Published April 2nd, 1860 by Day and Son Lithographers to the Queen." This beautiful production celebrates the art of medieval illumination, focusing on the artistry and accomplishments of illuminators in the 11th through the 16th centuries. Their achievements are demonstrated by the 99 chromolithographed plates in this book created by Tymms. The author of the essay on ancient and modern processes as well as describing specific practices is Sir Matthew Digby Wyatt (1820 – 1877). He was a renowned British architect and art historian who became Secretary of the Great Exhibition, Surveyor of the East India Company and the first Slade Professor of Fine Art at the University of Cambridge [Wikipedia]. . William Robert Tymms (1828–78) was a technician, artist and designer. One of the foremost chromolithographers of the 1860s, he also created a number of cloth bindings [Victorian Web]. The book was originally issued in parts, with Wyatt's essay comprising three parts, and the illustrations the remaining part. Bound in a handsome three quarter brown leatherette binding with marbled paper covered boards. Wear to top of frong hinge. With gilt titling and ornaments to spine. Very light bumping to corners. The interior pages are also in very good condition. There is a one inch tear to bottom of half title and title pages along the gutter. The plates are very nice with just an occasional light spot. Very good. Quarto. Unpaginated. BOB/032521. Very Good. More