Noël

1854 · 5203 — London: David Bogue. 1854 1854. First edition. pp. viii 176. 28 plates many of which thirteen are beautiful examples of Victorian chromolithography mostly Day & Son. Black embossed pierced and moulded papier maché over" red paper show-through" covered boards rebacked with part of the spine laid down. Spine lettered in gilt. All edges gilt. Some small cracks to the papier maché and there is some foxing but overall an excellent copy. McLean notes that it is surprising that The Origin and Progress of the Art of Writing should have been given such an elaborate papier mache binding when the book was clearly meant to be read rather than just admired. The two are not mutually exclusive of course but this wonderful book does tread a careful line between the strictly utilitarian and the very beautiful. But then of course writing and books more generally can be both beautiful and useful. As McLean says "there is an integrity and originality in Noel Humphrey's work" and "the width of his learning was obviously great". London: David Bogue. 1854 hardcover