Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson]

An early edition of Carroll's most famous work in a lavish Cosway binding (probably circa 1910–1913), with miniatures by Miss C.B. Currie after Tenniel's illustrations—an exceptional survivor from the golden era of book binding.

• Lewis Carroll [Charles L. Dodgson] (English).
• Illustrated by John Tenniel (English).
• Front doublure is stamped in gilt "Miniatures by C.B. Currie" (English).
• London: Macmillan & Company, 1868.
• Includes 42 woodcut illustrations (including frontispiece), and half title.
• Early edition (twelfth thousand).
• Painted scenes depicted are Alice with flamingo croquet mallet and the Duchess on the front cover, and Alice and the Dodo on the rear.
• Bound in a magnificent double Cosway binding of burgundy morocco by Riviere & Son, each cover with a central inset circular miniature under glass by Miss C.B. Currie, gilt fillets radiating to ornate hand-tooled foliate frames with gilt-decorated green morocco onlays in corners and centers with spine gilt in compartments with five raised bands and four green morocco matching onlays, dark green watered silk doublures within only slightly less ornate frames on pastedowns, all edges gilt.
• Housed in modern suede-lined morocco solander box. 

At the beginning of the 20th century, John Harrison Stonehouse, managing director of Henry Sotheran Booksellers, began to commission these distinctive fine bindings by Rivière and Son, featuring inset miniatures by his in-house miniaturist, Miss Currie. Many of her excellent miniatures imitated the style of the earlier painter Richard Cosway, hence the term Cosway binding. Over nearly 40 years, she produced miniatures for over 900 bindings. Examples from other binderies, featuring miniatures by other artists, are referred to as Cosway-style bindings; they are far more common, and far less desirable.

This copy has "Bound by Rivière & Son" stamped in gilt near the bottom edge of the inside front cover; the rear doublure is stamped in gilt within a small decorative frame "Bound by Rivière & Son, from designs by J.H. Stonehouse"; and "H. Sotheran & Co., 45 Piccadilly, London" is stamped in gilt near the bottom edge of the inside rear cover.

Williams, Madan and Green, p. 29, 84.

Williams 21.