ILLUSTRATED LETTERS TO MY CHILDREN FROM THE HOLY LAND
London: The Religious Tract Society, [1880]. First Edition. Hardcover. Harper (1835-1900), a British artist, was a leading Orientalist who spent time in Palestine and Cairo painting landscapes. Tall octavo: 82, [2, ads] pp. with the frontispiece with tissue guard, a color wood engraving by Edmund Evans after Henry A. Harper, as well as the title page vignette, 4 full-page plates, and 33 textual vignettes, all wood engravings by Swain after Harper. In the publisher's blue diagonal fine-ribbed cloth binding, with beveled boards; black-stamped ornaments, ruled and floral ornamental panel, stylized floral decorations, and triangular ornamental panel with circular device and scrolled ornamental titling banner, gilt-stamped framed "postcard vignette of a farmer with a camel and ox pulling a plow, and black and gilt-stamped decorative titling on the front panel; black-stamped ruled bands, ruled and ornamental diagonal bands, and floral ornaments, and gilt-stamped diagonal bands with titling and publisher's monogram on the spine; and blind-stamped ruled and floral ornamental borders and bands, and central ornamental device with publisher's monogram on the rear panel. All edges gilt, with gray-printed floral endpapers. Just a hint of foxing to the prefatory and concluding leaves, with the publisher's prize bookplate, black split morocco with gilt stamping, on the front pastedown, dated 1884. Tiny bit of wear to the corners and tips; else quite exceptional. Provenance: from the Publishers' Bookbindings collection of Ellen K. Morris and Edward S. Levin. Item #79067
Price: $250.00