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257 x 205 mm. (10 1/8 x 8 1/8"). iv, 27, [1] pp., [25] leaves; 11, [1] pp., [25] leaves. Two parts bound in one volume. HANDSOME ORIGINAL ESTRUSCAN CALF BY EDWARDS OF HALIFAX, covers with central panel of tree calf enclosed by a gilt Greek key border and a frame of stenciled dark brown palmettes on light tan calf, this surrounded by graceful gilt ivy roll on dun-colored calf, all within a gilt pentaglyph-and-metoped border, smooth spine divided into panels by strips of inlaid black morocco tooled with gilt Greek key roll, panels with inlaid central oval medal featuring an Etruscan vase, calligraphic gilt flourishes at corners, black morocco label, bright pink endpapers, all edges gilt (expertly rebacked preserving original spine). WITH A FINE BRIGHTLY COLORED FORE-EDGE PAINTING OF THE CRAIGMILLAR CASTLE RUINS, WITH EDINBURGH IN THE DISTANCE. WITH 50 ENGRAVED VIGNETTES (60 x 85 mm.) of the ruins of Scottish castles and abbeys. A Large Paper Copy. Front pastedown with engraved armorial bookplate of Christopher Turnor, Stoke Rochford Library. Lowndes 370; ESTC T153718 (but with a variant title page). â Front cover with a couple small areas of lost patina from insect activity, rear cover just slightly marked, upper corners a bit bumped, faint freckled foxing in the margins (more noticeable on the first two leaves), slight offsetting of engravings on facing blank versos. A few condition issues, but still a very attractive book, the lovely binding retaining virtually all of its antique appeal, and the contents with nothing approaching a significant problem. This is an excellent, atypically large example of an Edwards of Halifax binding, enhanced with a most appealing early fore-edge painting depicting one of the castles pictured in this attractive quarto edition. Scottish surgeon and antiquary Adam de Cardonnel (1746/7 - 1820) wrote and illustrated the present work "to preserve from oblivion the ancient remains of Caledonian splendour." Originally intended as a supplement to the popular "Pennant's Tour" of Scotland, it appeared in four parts, the first two in 1788 (in a few different forms, including an octavo edition), and the second two published in 1793. The fore-edge painting features Craigmillar castle, a Medieval fortress located a few miles from Edinburgh, whose most famous guest was Mary, Queen of Scots. One of her stays resulted in the so-called "Craigmillar bond," which set in motion plans to dispatch Mary's husband, Henry Stuart. By the late 18th century, the castle had fallen into disrepair, and it appears in the present painting as an idyllic ruin, with sheep and cows grazing in the fore-ground, and the city with Edinburgh Castle rising in the distance. The Edwards of Halifax bindery was founded by William Edwards (1723-1808) and continued by several of his brothers, half-brothers, and sons (by far the most important of the sons being Thomas, who lived from 1762-1834). This famous firm produced a number of important innovations in binding design, the most significant being the idea of concealing a painting under the gilt of the fore edge. This hidden treasure could be revealed, once the edge was fanned out, as a special surprise element of the volumes the Edwards firm bound--typically in Etruscan calf, as here, or in their patented transparent vellum. Although bindings produced by the Edwards workshop are almost never signed, the present item is surely Edwards' work, as indicated by the characteristic binding style and by the fact that our volume was actually sold by the Edwards firm. As usual, there is no clear way to assign a precise date to the painting; while it is not done in the soft grays that can be firmly associated with the earliest Edwards examples, it clearly is a painting done before 1850. While fore-edge paintings likely produced at the Edwards bindery (and especially produced by their imitators) appear in the marketplace with some regularity, most offered are octavo or duodecimo in size. Of the fore-edge.
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