- Museum number
- 1992,0406.146
- Description
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Jerrold, Douglas. Mrs. Caudle’s Curtain Lectures. Illustrated by Charles Keene. London: Bradbury, Evans & Co., 11, Bouverie Street, 1866. [London:] Bradbury, Evans & Co., Printers Extraordinary to the Queen. xx, 190p. 1 plate. The frontispiece plate is captioned: “/ Mr. Caudle, having come home a little late, declares that/ henceforth ‘He will have a key/’” [The plate is a chromolithograph.] With ten pages of publisher’s titles bound at the end. [Device and monogram of the publisher and printer on verso of first page of these advertisements.] Robin de Beaumont’s notes regarding price and dating of this copy are on front endpaper verso and on a separate slip of paper. He has noted: “This is NOT the first issue. I bought the true first [edition] at the Jeudwine sale, … 29.11.[19]84.” The bookplate of Robin de Beaumont is on the front paste down. Text printed on light green paper. In the publisher’s titles bound at the end of Douglas Jerrold, The Story of a Feather (1992.0406,147), this work is advertised as: “Handsomely bound, price 10s. 6d.”
Binding: Text sewn on three sawn-in cords. The design is by John Leighton. Bevelled boards. Gilt edges. Red and white endpapers and pastedowns, showing a ‘chequerboard’ pattern. Binder’s ticket on lower pastedown: “/ Bound/ by/ Edmonds & Remnant / [rule]/ London/” [Ball no.66 E1 black on cream] Red sand-grain cloth. Both covers identically blocked in gold and in blind and relief. On the lower cover, the blocking is in blind and in relief, and on the upper cover, the blocking is in gold and in relief. Eight patterns blocked on the borders: 1. a fillet in gold with repeating dots in relief; 2. a thin fillet in gold; 3. a border of hatched five point stars and gold dots; 4. a thin fillet in gold; 5. a fillet blocked in blind; 6. a fillet blocked in blind with repeating dots blocked in relief; 7. a fillet blocked in blind; 8 a thin fillet, in gold. On the lower cover, the title words and illustrator’s name are blocked in blind. On the upper cover, a four poster bed fills the cover. It is end-on to the viewer. The decorative features of the bed - the bed linen, the back of the bed, the columns - are outlined in relief by blocking in blind. A rail hung between the two post supports two curtains, which are hung on wooden rings. On the left curtain, the words: "/ The curtain/ lectures/" are blocked in gold; on the right curtain, the words: "/ of/ Mrs./ Caudle/" are blocked in gold. Five hatched five-point stars are blocked in gold below each group of words. Between the curtains on the back of the bed, a circular clock face is blocked in gold, with its arabic hour numbers blocked in relief. In the middle of the foreground, between the curtains, a table is blocked with a lamp on its top, both blocked in relief. The candle flame and its rays inside the lamp are blocked in gold. On the table plinth, the word: "/ Illustrated/" is blocked in gold. Underneath the table, a water pitcher and a bowl are blocked in relief. The words: "/By/ C/" are blocked on gold on the pitcher; the word: "/ Keene/" is blocked in gold on the bowl. Signed "JL" in relief as separate letters on either side of the bowl.
The spine is blocked in gold. A single fillet is blocked in gold on the perimeter. From the head downwards, the decoration is: hatched stars and a quarter moon, with a face; the words: "/ Mrs./ Caudle's/ curtain/ lectures/ [a set of teeth!]/ Douglas/ Jerrold./" are blocked in gold (the author words are blocked in relief within two rectangular gold lettering-pieces); the words: "/ Caudle's/ curtain/ wedding/ ring/" are blocked in gold round a ring, which has an eagle perched within it; the words: "/ Illustrated/ by/ Charles/ Keene./" are blocked in gold; miscellaneous decorative patterns, some in hatched gold; near at the base: "/ London/ Bradbury,/ Evans & Co./" are blocked in gold within a rectangle formed by a single gold fillet; two fillets are blocked in gold at the tail.
- Production date
- 1866
- Dimensions
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Height: 215 millimetres
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Thickness: 22 millimetres
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Width: 172 millimetres
- Curator's comments
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For descriptive details of the binder’s ticket, see: Ball, Douglas. Victorian publishers’ bindings. London, Library Association, 1985, Appendix E, Nineteenth Century Edition Binders’ Signatures.
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The British Library copy is at C.109.c.11. It has a ‘de luxe’ publisher’s red morocco case, blocked identically on both covers, with the same design as this copy.
http://www.bl.uk/catalogues/bookbindings/LargeImage.aspx?RecordId=020-000002724&ImageId=ImageId=40967&Copyright=BL
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated titles
Associated Title: Mrs. Caudle's Curtain Lectures.
- Acquisition date
- 1992
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1992,0406.146