Eden Warwick | The poet's pleasaunce, London, 1847, decorative morocco binding by Bedford

Eden Warwick [i.e. George Jabet]

The poet's pleasaunce: or, garden of all sorts of pleasant flowers, which our pleasant poets have, in past time, for pastime, planted. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, 1847

8vo (208 x 141mm.), half-title, additional illustrated title-page, wood-engraved floral and leafy borders by H. Vizetelly and W. Dickes, tan morocco gilt by Francis Bedford, covers with centre- and cornerpieces composed of red and green morocco gilt onlays, spine similarly gilt, edges gilt with marbled underpainting

A fine decorative binding by Bedford (1799-1883), "considered the leading English bookbinder of his time" (ODNB). His bindings were often based on earlier designs, but were very well executed. His own collection of his bindings was sold by Sotheby's in 1884, but did not include the present volume.

The text is a collection of annotated extracts from English poets relating to flowers, with fine woodcut borders to each page, based on designs by Henry Noel Humphreys, the entomologist and illustrator.

PROVENANCE:

Walter Macfarlane, inscription on title-page; sale of the books of S. Eckman Jr, Sotheby's, 23 November 1967, lot 726, £30, to Traylen; Robert J. Hayhurst, bookplate