Owen Meredith Lucile Antique Fine Red Morocco Binding Gilt Monogram

Owen Meredith's Lucile was printed in enormous numbers, but this copy was dressed in full red morocco with raised bands, gilt fleur-de-lis tooling in the spine compartments, and an entwined gilt monogram on the front board. The marbled endpapers are a combed pattern in red, blue, and cream, and the gilt turn-ins carry the decoration right to the inside edges. A later Chapman and Hall printing, bound the way Victorian readers dressed the poems they meant to keep. It sits in the hand like an object made to be owned rather than just read.

[d]Author | Owen Meredith (Robert Bulwer-Lytton, 1st Earl of Lytton) [d]Title | Lucile [d]Publisher | Chapman and Hall, 193 Piccadilly, London [d]Date | New Edition, circa 1870s [d]Binding | Full red morocco, raised bands, gilt tooling, black morocco spine label [d]Features | Entwined gilt monogram to front board, initials possibly KIB, gilt fleur-de-lis spine tooling, gilt turn-ins, combed marbled endpapers [d]Dimensions | 6.5 in H x 4.25 in W x 1 in D [d]Language | English [d]Origin | England

[condition] The binding is in good condition throughout. The red morocco is bright with light surface wear and a few small marks consistent with age. There is wear at the spine ends and along the front joint, with minor rubbing to the gilt corner ornaments. The raised bands and fleur-de-lis tooling remain crisp and the black spine label is legible. Internally the text block is clean and sound, the marbled endpapers fresh. A handsome and structurally solid copy.