Maud

The First Essex House Press edition printed in 1905. One of 125 copies only, this copy is out of series and unnumbered. The BOOK is in near Fine condition. Each printed on vellum and hand-coloured, with a frontispiece by Reginald Savage and Laurence Housman in collaboration, cut by Clarence Housman. Original vellum, spine lettered in gilt, rose and 'Soul is Form' blind-stamped on the front cover as issued. The vellum is in very bright condition with just some slight curling of the yapped edges. Printed in Caslon type. Hand-coloured wood-engraved frontispiece, with hand-coloured and illuminated initials throughout. The frontis in this copy is highly coloured as opposed to some copies where there is far less colouring. Internally clean. The vellum covers are remarkably clean for their age. Tennyson's poem was first published in 'Maud, and Other Poems' in 1855, his first collection after becoming poet laureate in 1850. The illuminations to this work were carried out by Anastasia Power. Power was a student of Douglas Cockerell and ran the Essex House bindery from the summer of 1902 until 1905. She was an accomplished artist and calligrapher and practised illumination with Fred Partridge alongside her role as binder (Dowd, p. 61). She consequently provided the illumination for much of the Press's output at this time. The Essex House Press was founded by Charles Robert Ashbee and Laurence Hodson following the closure of William Morris's Kelmscott Press in 1897 and 'came from the heart of the arts and crafts movement' (Franklin, p. 64). Ashbee bought the Kelmscott Press's Albion printing presses after William Morris's death, and employed one of the Kelmscott compositors, Thomas Binning. An exceptional copy of this highlight title from the Essex Press. The book is protected in a removable Mylar archival cover. More images available on request. Ashton Rare Books welcomes direct contact.