Description
A beautiful late-Victorian illustrated gift edition of Sir Walter Scott’s The Lady of the Lake, published by Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. of New York and Boston, in an especially attractive period floral binding.
The copyright page carries the cumulative Crowell dates 1883, 1888, 1891, and 1892, while a period ownership inscription is dated “Xmas 1893.” Together, these provide an unusually tight window for this copy: it was produced after the 1892 copyright state and was already being presented as a Christmas gift by December 1893.
The greatest appeal of this copy is its distinctive publisher’s Victorian gift binding. Rather than Crowell’s more commonly encountered plain cloth treatment, this example combines cream cloth with violet-flower decorative paper, extensive gilt ornamentation to the front and spine, and a coordinated floral design extending around the boards.
Highlights include:
* Sir Walter Scott’s classic narrative poem The Lady of the Lake
* Thomas Y. Crowell & Co., New York and Boston
* Circa 1892-1893
* Contemporary “Xmas 1893” presentation inscription
* Elaborate original Victorian floral gift binding
* Cream cloth with violet floral decorative-paper boards
* Extensive gilt floral and scroll decoration
* Illustrated throughout with period black-and-white plates
* Includes Scott’s original dedication to John James, Marquess of Abercorn
* Private-library “RLG / Richard L. Greenburg” blindstamp
* An uncommon and highly decorative Crowell binding variant
This is not a first edition of Scott’s poem-the work originally appeared in 1810-but it is a considerably more decorative and collectible presentation of the work than the ordinary late-19th-century Crowell editions frequently encountered.
The binding retains considerable eye appeal, particularly its violet floral pattern and gilt decoration. There is age-related rubbing and wear, most noticeably at the corners and edges, with some loss to the decorative covering at the lower corner and associated wear to the interior corner/endpaper area. These points are reflected in the photographs and are consistent with a decorative book that is now more than 130 years old.
A particularly appealing example for collectors of Victorian decorative bindings, Walter Scott, 19th-century illustrated books, antique poetry, and Thomas Y. Crowell gift editions.
Please view all the photos for the best understanding of the binding, illustrations, inscriptions, and condition.
