Baynes, Robert Hall The Illustrated Book of Sacred Poems. Cassell. 1867.

@ 2014 ; edited August 2026

Baynes, Robert Hall  The Illustrated Book of Sacred Poems. Cassell. 1867. 

 Upper cover and spine

Lower cover

This book is typical of Cassell's production of the 1860s; first produced in parts and then bound into cloth, and also into leather. The British Library copy has the parts bound in, each of which has blue paper covers. The  BL shelfmark is 11651k3.

The British Library copy has the paper cover for each part bound in at the rear.  The upper cover of part XI of the British Library copy 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.” 

 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. 

For works of poetry , it was common in the 1860s for the publisher to commission a numbrer of different artists to provide illustrations. For this work, there were at least ten artists employed. 

                                                    BL 11651k3 half title page

BL11651k3 part1 upper cover

                                                      BL11651k3 parrt1 lower cover

The half title page shows the same design as blocked on the full gilt cloth binding. The lower cover of part 1 displays advertisements. 

 The cloth cover is not signed. The description is: 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