English Landscape Binding. [Walpole (Horace)], The Castle of...

Hammer

£100

English Landscape Binding. [Walpole (Horace)], The Castle of Otranto, a Gothic Story. Translated by William Marshal, Gent. From the Original Italian of Onuphrio Muralto, Canon of the Church of St. Nicholas at Otranto, sixth edition, large paper copy, Parma: Printed by Bodoni, for J. Edwards, Bookseller, of London, 1791, half-title, pp: [vi], xxxii, 245, illustrated with two variant impressions of the the frontispiece, a few marks and creases inside, otherwise good, finely bound in russia calf gilt, the covers ruled with a gilt double-fillet and outlined with a rope-twist border, each enclosing a topographical Picturesque landscape of medieval ruins, decorated en grisaille, most of the spine perished, the corners rubbed and exposed, the boards with slight surface wear and a few minor chipped losses, sometimes affecting the landscapes, split joints, upper-cover loosening, all edges gilt, gilt turn-ins, 4to

Though unsigned this binding and others of the same ilk have been attributed to the binderies and decorating ateliers of Edwards of Halifax, Charles Hulbert of Shrewsbury and John Wansbrough of Bristol. However the latter two are known to have signed their works with a ticket, and R. Ashton, another name known to have decorated landscape bindings, signed his work within the image.

Provenance: 1) Charles Joachim Hambro, Baron Hambro (1807-1877), his armorial bookplate to recto pastedown. 2) The Viscount Esher, either William Brett (1815-1899), the first viscount, or Reginald Brett (1852-1930), the second viscount, armorial bookplate to flyleaf surmounted by a coronet.