Illuminated Manuscript
by Baird, Edith Elina Helen (1859 - 1924)
- Used
- Fine
- Condition
- Fine
- Seller
-
New York, New York, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
1881. Full Morocco. Fine. A richly illuminated Victorian manuscript notable for its great variety of ornamentation and done by a woman famous in her day. 4to. 28 by 24 cm. 59 leaves of heavy card, each with illumination. The illluminator, Edith Baird, was the "Queen of Chess" in her day. She wrote several books on chess problems, most notably, "Seven Hundred Chess Problems", Henry Sotheran, 1902, "The Twentieth Century Retractor", also Henry Sotheran, 1907. She was the daughter of a poet, Thomas Winter-Wood, who wrote under the name of "Vanguard" and who also was a chess master, as were two of Edith's brothers. The verse contained in this album do not bear titles. Edith Baird may have written some or all of the poems, but nothing definite can be said about their authorship. In addition to English, some verse is in German and French. While there are references to heaven and God, the poems are more spiritual than religious. Several of the leaves are illustrated with no poetry at all. While Ms. Baird's chess expertise might not seem germane to the book at hand, one can not help but note that the same meticulous thought with which she attacked the thorny challenges of the game she applied to her artwork, with its precise attentiion to detail. She also exhibits real originality in her painting. While drawing inspiration from Gothic, Celtic, the Medieval, Renaissance and Arabic ornamentation, she fused these influences in imaginative ways, and she managed to steer clear of repeating herself, notwithstanding the heft of the album she created. Other than a missing brass piece for the clasp to latch onto on the front board, this album is wonderfully well-preserved.
Reviews
(Log in or Create an Account first!)
Details
- Bookseller
- White Fox Rare Books and Antiques (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 003360
- Title
- Illuminated Manuscript
- Author
- Baird, Edith Elina Helen (1859 - 1924)
- Format/Binding
- Full Morocco
- Book Condition
- Used - Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Date Published
- 1881
Terms of Sale
White Fox Rare Books and Antiques
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
White Fox Rare Books and Antiques
Biblio member since 2010
New York, New York
About White Fox Rare Books and Antiques
By appointment. Antiquarian and rare books with strengths in illustrated plate books, the decorative arts, costume, sporting, foreign language literature (in the original language), with growing emphasis on early printing.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- Leaves
- Very generally, "leaves" refers to the pages of a book, as in the common phrase, "loose-leaf pages." A leaf is a single sheet...
This Book’s Categories
Also Recommended
-
Save 10% on every purchase!
Join the Bibliophiles’ Club and start saving 10% on every book.
$29.95 / Year