Fore-edge Painting

Edinburgh: Mundell, Doig and Stevenson, 1808. hardcover. fine. 4 volumes. Handsomely bound in contemporary straight grained green morocco with gilt designs on covers & spines, a.e.g. Housed in a red cloth folding box. Edinburgh: Printed for Mundell, Doig and Stevenson, 1808. A fine set.<br/> <br/> Each volume has a detailed fore-edge painting of various London city scenes.<br/> <br/>

London: Moxon, 1838. hardcover. near fine. Illustrated with numerous in-text engravings. 313 pages. 12mo, beautifully bound in contemporary gilt-decorated burgundy morocco, a.e.g. London: Edward Moxon, 1838. Near fine (both hinges repaired).<br/> <br/> With a magnificent double fore-edge painting depecting Boston & a view of the State House, and New York & a view of City Hall (4 paintings).<br/> <br/>

Oxford:: Printed at the Clarendon Press, by Samuel Collingwood, 1822., 1822. 8vo. 1039 pp. Paper lightly browned (causing edge painting to look browned). Original dark brown straight grained morocco elaborately stamped in blind, a.e.g.; neatly rebacked, edges scuffed, inner hinges re-enforced. Very good. Leather bookplate of Sydney Sanner. With fore-edge painting of "FOLKSTONE." An early painting (date unknown). PROVENANCE: Navy blue morocco bookplate of Sydney Sanner, possibly a freemason and, if so, this could be the copy of Judge James Sydney Sanner (1872-1956), Supreme Court of Montana. He was also involved with inventing mining machinery. He died in Los Angeles. Earlier inscription of "Emily C. Hammersley, [daughter of my] [and in another hand:] Great Aunt . . . Constance Maria Stopford, Ridgeway, 1920."

London:: Frederick Warne and co., (1880)., 1880. At head of title: The Lansdowne Poets. Small 8vo. 438 pp. Engraved illus. Original full green blind and gilt-stamped calf, spine gilt, maroon leather spine label, a.e.g. School prize award mounted on front pastedown (1882). With a fine fore-edge painting showing The Tower of London and Mint from Tower Hill (1842), after Thomas Shotter Boys (English engraver, 1803-1874). Painted circa 1970s by Don Noble [unsigned]. See: Weber, Jeff, Annotated Dictionary, pp. 214-6 [Noble fl. 1965-2000).

London:: Charles Griffin, 1867., 1867. 8vo. xxxviii, 682 pp. Index to subjects. Original full brown morocco stamped in darker brown, gilt corner devices, four raised bands, a.e.g.; light edge wear, corners showing, some scuffs to outer edges. Early ownership signature of Gerald Beach. With a fore-edge painting (estimated date of painting: 1985) showing two trappers in the woods (one holding a captured and killed ferret or similar creature). Painted by/for Harrington's, London, ca.1990s.

London:: Printed by T. Bensley, 1796-1797., 1796. Two volumes. 8vo. xl, [iv], 325; [iv], 366 pp. Engraved half-titles, 16 engraved plates, index. Twentieth century full navy blue straight-grained morocco, gilt rules, five raised bands with gilt compartments, a.e.g. for H. Sotheran & Co., London; a tad rubbed. Near fine. The TWO FORE-EDGE PAINTINGS by CLARE BOOKSBANK, signed. The scene on volume I is possibly a view of King George III and the House of Parliament; on volume II Westminster from the Thames River. The identity of Junius is open to question and debate, and may never be finally resolved unless documents are found which establish his identity. On the other hand scholars now generally support the identification with Sir Philip Francis. "The case for Philip Francis, first proposed by John Taylor in 1816, has established itself as by far the most probable, though categorical proof is still not forthcoming" (DNB). The Letters of Junius were the official letters that Junius collected, refined… Read More

With commentary by Christian Gottlob Heyne. HANDSOME CONTEMPORARY NAVY BLUE STRAIGHT-GRAIN MOROCCO, DENSELY GILT, covers with thick and thin gilt rule border and large central laurel wreath, that on the front with the Latin motto "Honoris Causa" ("For the sake of honor"), that on the rear with the name Thomas T. Churton and the date 1817, raised bands, spine lavishly gilt in compartments filled with foliage and small tools emanating from a central fleuron, gilt titling and turn-ins, all edges gilt.
WITH A SPLENDID LATER PAINTING OF MOUNT ETNA ON THE FORE EDGE. In a recent plush-lined blue folding cloth box with gilt spine titling. With ink stamp of Bolton Public Library on verso of title and first page of text. Lowndes IV, 2777. ◆Corners slightly bumped, boards a little faded, first two gatherings mildly foxed, isolated rust spots or faint freckled foxing, but still AN ESPECIALLY DESIRABLE COPY, the handsome binding virtually unworn, the text clean and smooth, and the unusual fore-edge painting very… Read More

Edinburgh / London: Archibald Constable & Company / Hurst, Robinson & Co, 1823. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. Very Good. Frontispiece, Fore-Edge Painting. Vii, 388 Pp. Full Calf, Five Bands, Black Spine Label, Gilt All Compartments, Gilt Seal Of George Agar Ellis, 2St Baron Dover. Pages With Marbled Edges And A Fore-Edge Painting Of What Was Apparently A Very Large Church In A Low Country Village Or Town, With A Man Looking On In Foreground, Almost Certainly Rev. Blackader Looking At His Parish. George James Welbore Agar-Ellis, 1St Baron Dover Pc Frs Fsa (1797 - 1833) Was A British Politician And Man Of Letters. Agar-Ellis Was The Only Son Of Henry Agar-Ellis, 2Nd Viscount Clifden, And Lady Caroline, Daughter Of George Spencer, 4Th Duke Of Marlborough. He Was Educated At Westminster School And Christ Church, Oxford. He Was Elected A Fellow Of Both The Society Of Antiquaries And Royal Society In 1816. Agar-Ellis Was Returned To Parliament For Heytesbury In 1818, A Seat He Held Until 1820. He… Read More

London:: John Murray, 1818., 1818. 8vo. viii, 576 pp. Original full double gilt-ruled vellum, gilt embellished spine, olive-brown morocco spine label, all edges gilt, red endleaves. Fine copy. With a glorious fore-edge painting on the painted edge by the Dover painter, of "King's College Chapel Cambridge" and labeled in the artist's ink hand. The artist is known to have worked in the 1920s and 1930s in London, thus it is interesting to note that there are two notations with dates: a dated inscription in the back E.H.W. 25/3/31 [March 25, 1931] $ 85. - with a cost code showing B/-/- over B/H/E. Surely an indication that this was painted by March 1931 and offered for sale by an American bookseller for $ 85. The label (shown) for the painting also has a code: 116/1/24 which looks like a code/date - if a date then the year would be 1924. This is very much within this artist's time period of activity. [JWRB]

London: Edward Moxon, 1853. 5th or later Edition . Hardcover. Fine. Frontispiece. X, 388 Pp. Full Morocco, Elaborately Gilt Spine, Covers, And Turns; All Edges Gilt; Yellow Endpapers. 19Th Century Blindstamp Of John Mylrea, Bookseller, Douglas. Previous Owner's Inscription Dated 1854; Later Inscription Dated 1983. Fine (Leather Professionally And Invisibly Conditioned, Corners Touched Up, Furbished). Very Old, Primitive Fore-Edge Painting Of A Fencing Lesson In A Drawing Room.

London:: Smith, Elder and Co., 1862., 1862. Half-title: The four Georges: sketches of manners, morals, court, and town life. Small 8vo. [iv], 226, [2] pp. Original full turquoise blue crushed morocco, raised bands, all edges gilt, by W. M. HOLLOWAY (ca.1850-70), London; head and rear joint mended with kozo, spine toned. Bookplates of Thomas Clarke Butler-Cole; Alfred C. Howell. Very good. First edition, contained within four parts. With a lovely fore-edge painting [ca. 1952] of a scene of Windsor Castle. PROVENANCE: Thomas Clarke Butler-Cole (1870-); Alfred C. Howell (1847-1928). See: Hover, Caroline F. Aucassin et Nicolette, the Alfred C. Howell collection: a bibliography. New York: Hover, 1977.

London:: Edward Moxon, 1842., 1842. 8vo. vii, 320 pp. Numerous engraved illus.; lacking frontispiece portrait. Original full maroon blind- and gilt-stamped morocco, raised bands, gilt compartments, all edges gilt. Bookplate of Oscar Ehrhardt Lancaster (fore-edge painting collector). With a fore-edge painting of "Sadler's Wells Theater", London, ca.1813, after Thomas Hosmer Shepherd (1792-1864); engraved by J. Garner, 1830. This is a "modern" painting (20th century).

New York:: Harcourt, Brace, 1932., 1932. 8vo. xii, 690 pp. Frontis. (portrait of Sherman), plates, index. Deluxe binding in contemporary navy blue crushed levant gilt, purple watered-silk moire endleaves, gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, upper cover with COSWAY-STYLE inset center medallion with glass plate protecting an original watercolor portrait of General Sherman. Protected in the original open-end box bound in half crushed morocco, raised bands, gilt stamps in each compartment, bale blue cloth sides, felt inner lining, cloth ribbon-pull. Beautifully preserved. Ownership inscription. Fine. First edition. Concealed under the gold edge a FORE-EDGE PAINTING of William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891), leading his troops to battle in the Civil War. In the scene, it appears that Atlanta (or Savanah?), all ablaze, is in the background (left) and a pasture of cows (right of center), a small rural bridge is in the path ahead leading to the next town. PROVENANCE: Inscribed (half-title) "For my friend Fred… Read More

London: William Heinemann Ltd / Windmill Press, 1951. first Facimilie. full Morocco. THE FORSYTE SAGAJohn GalsworthyFORE-EDGE PAINTINGPublished by William Heinemann Ltd / Windmill Press 1951This is the 1951 reprint from 1922 including folding family tree chart as frontice.1042pp not illustrated as per the original 1922 edition. Bound in full red straight grain Morocco for Henry Sotherans, Ltd. With tipped in signature of John Galsworthy dated March 11 1916.Fore-Edge painting is the view of Richmond Bridge, London. Beautifully painted showing the bridge and its quaint surroundings.The Forsyte Saga was first published in its entirety in 1922; the illustrated single volume edition with Anthony Gross's highly acclaimed drawings was first published in 1950. The Forsyte Saga earned Galsworthy the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1932, and his tales of the vicissitudes of a large upper-middle-class English family have been adapted under various guises for film and television, including the 1949 Hollywood film… Read More

1790. Fine. 14 22 3.5. THIS BOOK IS UNIQUE. Hidden scene on the fore page edges (under the gilding) on both volumes. Tan calf bindings. Gilt embossed edges and centre panel on all sides. Black title plates and gilt banding and titles on the spine. Gilt on all page edges. Dimensions are for one volume. Supplied in a newly made protective box. Magnificent Fore Edge Edition Fore-edge painting: With a double concealed fore-edge painting revealing two scenes. In very good condition. The first known example of a disappearing fore-edge painting (where the painting is not visible when the book is closed) dates to 1649. Around 1750, the subject matter of fore-edge paintings changed from simply decorative or heraldic designs to landscapes, portraits and religious scenes, usually painted in full colour. The technique was popularised in the 18th century by John Brindley (1732-1756), publisher and bookbinder to the Prince of Wales and Edwards of Halifax, a distinguished family of bookbinders and booksellers. The… Read More