- Museum number
- 1992,0406.185
- Description
-
Longfellow,Henry Wadsworth. The Song of Hiawatha. Illustrated, from designs by George H. Thomas [i.e. George Housman Thomas]. Engraved on Wood by W. Thomas [i.e. William Luson Thomas] and H. Harral [i.e. Horace Harral]. London: W. Kent & Co. (Late D. Bogue), 86, Fleet Street, 1860. London: Savill and Edwards, Printers, Chandos Street, Covent Garden. viii, 224p. The illustration after George Housman Thomas on page 47 is accompanied by the verse: “/ Master of Life!” he cried, desponding,/ “Must our lives depend upon these things?”/ On the fourth day of his fasting/ In his lodge he lay exhausted;/” Robin de Beaumont’s notes regarding price and dating of this copy are on front pastedown verso. The bookplate of Robin de Beaumont is on the front paste down.
Binding: Text sewn on three tapes. Gilt edges. Bevelled boards. Yellow endpapers and pastedowns. De Beaumont bookplate on upper pastedown. Bookseller's ticket on upper pastedown: "/ S & T. Gilbert,/ Booksellers,/ 4, Copthall Buildings,/ Back of the Bank./" Binder's ticket on lower pastedown: "/ Bound/ by/ Leighton/ Son and/ Hodge/"[Ball no. 53E.]. Blue morocco vertical-grain cloth. Both covers identically blocked in gold, in blind and in relief. Blocked on the borders are: 1. a single thin gold fillet; 2. hatch gold fillet; 3. a repeating pattern of semi-circles and dots, blocked in gold; 4 a hatch gold fillet. On the corners and on the sides, ten medallions are blocked - each formed by a hatch gold fillet and four dots. Each medallion has plant decoration blocked in relief within it, surrounded by horizontal gold hatch blocking. Between the medallions, rectangular panels are formed by single gold fillets, with plants blocked in relief within each. The inner rectangle on the covers is formed by: 1. a thin gold fillet; 2. semi-circles and dots blocked in gold. Above and below the central oval, two rectangular panels are formed by hatch gold fillets and a single thin gold fillet; within each rectangle, the title: "/ The Song of/ Hiawatha/" is blocked in gold. The central oval has three groups of decoration on its borders: 1. a hatch gold fillet blocked between two thin gold fillets; 2 a repeating plant pattern blocked in gold; 3. a hatch gold fillet blocked between two thin gold fillets . On the head, the tail and the sides, plant decoration is blocked in relief within gold lettering-pieces. The inner central oval has a white paper on lay. Within it, a vignette is blocked, showing an Indian chief and a squaw standing on the right; another squaw is seated on the ground to the left - all in gold. Signed "RD" [i.e Robert Dudley] in gold at the base of the vignette. The spine is blocked in gold and in relief. A single hatch gold fillet is blocked on the borders. Panels are blocked down the spine, formed by single gold fillets. From the head downwards, the decoration is: 1. gold dots and semi-circles; 2. a medallion formed by two fillets, the inner of which is hatch, with maize plant decoration blocked in relief, surrounded by horizontal gold hatch. Around the medallion, plant decoration is blocked in relief; 3. the title: "/ The/ Song/ of/ Hiawatha/" blocked in gold within an oval formed by two gold fillets, the inner of which is of hatch gold. 4. a medallion, with the same formation as no. 2. and plant decoration blocked in relief within, together with horizontal gold hatch; 5. the words: "/ Longfellow/ [rule]/ Illustrated/ by/ Geo. Thomas/" are blocked in gold, within an oval formed by two fillets, the inner of which is of gold hatch; 6. a medallion - the same as no. 2; 7. the same decoration as no. 1; 8. a rectangle formed by a single fillet; 9. the same as nos. 1 and 7. The spine is not signed.
- Production date
- 1860
- Dimensions
-
Height: 220 millimetres
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Thickness: 25 millimetres
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Width: 155 millimetres
- Curator's comments
- 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.
- Location
- Not on display
- Associated titles
Associated Title: The Song of Hiawatha.
- Acquisition date
- 1992
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1992,0406.185