A Booke of Christmas Carols. Illuminated from Ancient Manuscripts in the British Museum.
London: Joseph Cundall, 1846, First edition. Illuminated in gold and color with elaborate chromolithographed borders and three full-page miniatures by John Brandard after manuscripts in the British Museum. Chromolithographed by Hanhart. Minor rubbing to extremities. Front hinge reinforced with strip of red leather. Some foxing to endpapers and dampstaining to lower margin. Contemporary bookplate to front pastedown. Otherwise, a bright copy without most of the usual foxing. A very good, attractive copy. Bound by Edmonds & Remnants in publisher’s red blindstamped morocco with central paper onlay. Smudge to onlay on front cover. Beveled edges. Small quarto. [32] pp. Item #17408
In Victorian Book Design, McLean writes, “In 1845, a notable example of illuminated printing was published by Joseph Cundall. This was A Booke of Christmas Carols, consisting of thirty-two pages drawn and lithographed by John Brandard (1812-63), who specialized in music covers, and color-printed by Hanhart; the text was overprinted, in Old Face, by Whittingham at the Chiswick Press…It was issued in a variety of decorative bindings, by Edmonds & Remnants, including embossed and color-printed white paper on boards, in the French Romantic style, a blue or red and gold flock paper, and gold-blocked red cloth or leater. Cundall published several more small illuminated books, including The Creed, The Lord’s Prayer and the Ten Commandments, 1848, and Words of Truth and Widsom [1848], both chromolithographed by F. Dangerfield,” (pp. 90-91).
Price: $750.00