[Binding, Fine- Birmingham Guild of Handicraft] Oliver Cromwell

London: Coupil & Co, 1899. Folio (10 x 13 inches). Sumptuously bound by the Birmingham Guild of Handicraft in an impressive full sienna sealskin Arts & Crafts binding, with interlocking gilt rules across the front cover and four gilt quatrefoils in each corner, decorated with leaves and tudor roses on front cover, double gilt ruled borders onback cover. Five raised bands to spine, with lavish gilt design on four compartments, gilt title, date, etc. on others. Dentelles with single example of floral decoration in gilt to corners. Top edge gilt. Limited to 1475 copies, of which this is #1090. Frontis portrait in color and numerous engraved plates, all with tissue guards with letterpress captions. Sealskin is most well known as an Arts & Crafts-era bookbinding material by The Doves Bindery, and has distinct qualities that render a wonderful polished almost liquid appearance to the leather. ìThe Birmingham Guild was established in 1890, its founder member being Arthur Stansfield Dixon. It originated as a semi-autonomous group with the Birmingham Kyrle Society. By 1895 the Guild had formed its own independent workshop and became a limited company. Circa 1894 the Guild began producing books under the imprint ëThe Birmingham Guild of Handicraft Pressí. Ö Designers and artists associated with the Press included Arthur J. Gaskin, Mary Newill and Charles March Gere. The Guild was closely associated with Birmingham School of Art, many of the designers and craftspeople who worked for the company either trained or taught at the School. Ö Other designers associated with the shop included Albert Edward Jones, George T. Tarling, Claude Napier Clavering, Charles Llewellyn Roberts, and Thomas Birkett. The Guild participated in the exhibitions of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society in London in 1893, 1896, 1899, 1903 and 1906î (Artist Biographies Ltd). Slight scratch to lower right front cover, light rubbing to edges, some spots to covers, but a very good or better copy of a prodigious and significant binding by the Birmingham Guild.