Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass
by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by John Tenniel
Macmillan London Limited, reprints 1975 and 1976
These classic children’s books and perennial favourites were originally published 1866 [1865] and 1872 [1871], these copies being reprints from 1975 and 1976 bound as one book.
Presented in an attractive binding by (according to pencilled note to rear) Morrell of London, for the London bookseller Sotheran of Sackville Street – stamped to upper edge of front free endpaper verso.
The bookbinding firm of W. T. Morrell was established in 1861 after taking over the bindery of Charles Lewis and produced fine bindings for over a century. Changing and difficult times for many binderys in the 1960s/70s saw Morrell aligning itself with a bookseller [Henry Sotheran?] before eventually closing in the 1980s*.
Hardback. Red half-leather over red cloth boards; gilt title and decoration to spine, raised bands; page-block with top edge gilt; head and tail bands; marbled endpapers. pp [12], 177, [1] + [12], 208, [1], including b/w illustrations. Size: 7.5 x 5 inches approx. (187mm x 125mm).
Spine a touch sunned/faded; cloth a little marked in places but mainly to front board (splash marks/loss of colour). Bookseller name stamped in ink to front free endpaper verso; a difference in paper between books with age toning greater to ‘Looking-Glass’ but otherwise pages clean throughout; [contemporary?] pencilled note to rear free endpaper recto.
Overall, showing a little light wear but otherwise a nice, clean copy – quite lovely.
– – – – –
References
*The Future of Hand Bookbinding By Sam Ellenport (The Harcourt Bindery, 1993)
Five Hundred Years of Fine, Fancy and Frivolous Bindings (George Bayntun, 2013)
The Lewis Carroll Handbook (Dawson, revised edition 1979)
