Upper cover and spine
Lower cover
This is my copy of this book. It is typical of Cassell's production of the 1860s; first produced in parts and then bound into cloth, and into leather. The British Library copy has the parts bound in, each of which has blue paper covers. The BL shelfmark is 11651k3, and is described in the British Library database of bookbindings.
Baynes, Robert Hall
The Illustrated Book of Sacred
Poems. Edited by the Rev. Robert H Baynes M.A., Vicar of S. Michael, Coventry,
Editor of “Lyra Anglicana,” &c. Illustrated by J.D. Watson [ i.e. John
Dawson Watson], H. C. Selhous [i.e. Henry Courtney Selhous], E. M. Wimperis
[i.e. Edmund Morison Wimperis], H. Pixis, M. E. Edwards [i.e. Mary Ellen
Edwards], R. P. Leitch [i.e. Richard Principal Leitch], W. Small [ i.e. William
Small], R. T. Pritchett [i.e. Robert Taylor Pritchett], T. Macquoid [i.e.
probably Thomas Robert Macquoid], J. W. North [i.e. John William North].
[Monogram of Cassell, Petter and Galpin.]
London and New
York: Cassell Petter and
Galpin ,[1867].
London: Cassell, Petter and Galpin, Belle
Sauvage Works, Ludgate Hill, E. C.
200x267x30mm. 392p. 4 plates. With two pages of publisher’s
titles bound at the end.
The design is not signed. The upper
cover of part XI of the British Library copy (which is bound with parts in blue paper covers) advertises the ‘Complete volume of Cassell’s
Illustrated Book of Sacred Poems: “…published at 7s.6d. cloth gilt, 10s 6d.
full gilt cloth, and at 21s full morocco antique. It will form one of the most
beautiful gift books of the forthcoming season.” The half title page shows the
same design as blocked on the full gilt cloth binding. Gilt edges. Bevelled
boards. Dark green endpapers and pastedowns. Dark red sand grain cloth. The lower
cover is blocked in blind only. Three fillets are blocked on the borders. The
inner rectangle shows an imitation wooden frame, with rows of candles to head
and to tail, quatrefoils on the centre sides, and an oval frame at the centre.
The upper cover is blocked in gold and in black. Two gold fillets are blocked
on the borders, within between them a pattern of groups of three gold dots, and
semi-circles blocked in black. On the borders, ‘ivy like’ stems, leaves and
buds are profusely blocked. They surround the ornate central rectangular frame,
which has a ‘wheel circle’ blocked on each corner, each of which has a leaf and
stem pattern blocked in relief within it. On the left of the frame, a crown, an
urn, a cross are blocked in gold. On the right hand side a repeating pattern of
thin stems and two leaves is blocked in relief within a wide gold fillet. Near
the head, the title: “/ The/ Illustrated Book/ of Sacred Poems/” is blocked in
gold in gothic letters. Underneath more gilt decoration of repeating curling stems
and leaves, the quote: “O all ye [blocked in red]/ works of the Lord bless [blocked
in green]/ ye the Lord praise him and [blocked in red]/ magnify him forever
[blocked in green]/” – all are within diagonal gold lettering-pieces. Beneath
these quotes, the publisher: “/ Cassell, Petter and Galpin./” is blocked in
gold in gothic letters. The spine is blocked in gold in black and in relief.
From the heads downwards the decoration is: ivy leaves and buds in gold; a
crown and two five pointed stars in gold within and oval formed by ‘a
branch-like’ fillet, which also continues down the spine to surround the title
words: “/ The/ Illustrated/ Book of/ Sacred/ Poems/ Edited by/ the Rev. R. H
[blocked in gold]/ Baynes M. A./” are blocked
in relief within seven diagonal rectangular gold lettering pieces; a cross and
rays around in, blocked in gold, witin an oval formed by a ‘branch-like’
fillet; ivy stem and bud decoration; just above the tail, the publisher: “/
Cassell/ Petter & Galpin/ London & New York/”is blocked in gold; at the
tail two gold fillets.
Edmund M B King
