17 BAUMAN RARE BOOKS Byron’s Poems, In A Beautiful Cosway-Style Binding Handsomely printed edition of Byron’s poems, beautifully bound by Asprey in a Cosway-style binding with a portrait of Byron inset on the front board. Cosway bindings (named in 1909 for renowned 19thcentury English miniaturist Richard Cosway) were the brainchild of John Harrison Stonehouse, managing director of London booksellers Henry Sotheran & Company, who in 1902 struck on the idea of embedding miniature paintings in the covers of richly-tooled bindings. He engaged the famous Rivière bindery to execute his idea in accordance with his own designs. Rivière brought into its employ Miss C.B. Currie with instructions to faithfully imitate Richard Cosway’s detailed watercolor style of miniature painting. These delicate and beautiful miniatures, mostly portraits, often on ivory, were set into the covers or doublures of fine bindings and protected with thin panes of glass. Cosway bindings executed by other than the original collaborators (Stonehouse, Sotheran, Rivière, and Currie) are designated as “Cosway-style” bindings—still splendid productions. Fine condition. 16BYRON. Poems of Lord Byron. London, 1923. Octavo, 20th-century full blue morocco, giltdecorated spine and boards with Cosway-style portrait on front board. $10,000
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NDg3OTM=