Cloth binding for Scott’s ‘Poetical Works’

Unsigned

[circa 1878, but with an inscription dating this issue to 1880]

Cloth binding

7¼ x 4¾inches

This is typical of the small-scale gift book of the seventies, which apes the luxurious editions of the sixties but diminishes their features. Published in octavo rather than quarto, printed in small letterpress and mounted on low quality paper, it offers a combination of illustrations, text, and an elaborate cloth casing. [Commentary continues below.]

Scan and text by Simon Cooke [Click on image to enlarge it, and mouse over the text for links.]

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.]