Robert Louis Stevenson
Virginibus Puerisque, 1903
East Aurora, NY: Roycrofters
One of 100 copies on Japan vellum, signed by Elbert Hubbard. In a unique binding.
1391
Octavo. 77pp. Printed in black, with tastefully ornamental title page. Stevenson's fairly liberal attitude toward marriage here finds an apt companion in the progressively-minded Hubbard and his Roycroft Press. This...
Octavo. 77pp. Printed in black, with tastefully ornamental title page. Stevenson's fairly liberal attitude toward marriage here finds an apt companion in the progressively-minded Hubbard and his Roycroft Press. This copy in a unique binding executed at the Roycroft Bindery, with its stamp to lower doublure. Full teal morocco over boards, spine in six compartments with titling in gilt and leather and white onlays arranged into a floral shape. Similar motif to upper cover, again of white and brown onlays with addition of olive leather for the leaves. Gilt ruling along edges and at end-bands, turn-ins, and doublures of light blue leather. Of particular note is the presence of two cardboard packing corners, original to the production, manufactured at the Ideal Book Mailing Company of Worcester, Massachusetts. Loss to white onlay at spine, else remarkably fine no doubt due, in part, to those corners. Housed in original suede-lined box with silk ribbon, albeit corners split and ribbon tatty.