The House of Life by Dante Gabriel Rossetti Being Now for the First Time Given in it's Full Text
Boston: Copeland and Day, 1894. First Edition Thus. Hardcover. As stated on the colophon, the first complete edition, this one of 500 copies on French paper, with lettering and decorations by Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue, in a custom, inlay leather binding by Virginia Chester, signed and dated 1911. Full dark green crushed morocco, elaborately decorated front and rear covers and their versos, aeg. Executed in Art Nouveau style perfectly appropriate to Goodhue's decorations. Signed by Chester with gilt pressed conjoined initials VC flanked by 19 and 11 (for 1911) at the bottom of the rear inside cover. Spine moderately worn, corners worn, joints, too, more noticeably to front, and shallow loss at spine ends, more noticeably at top. Chester dropped out of university in Illinois in 1902 due to illness, and took up bookbinding as a hobby. She never returned to college but continued professionally with bookbinding, studying in Chicago with Gertrude Stiles, in New York with Helen Haskell and in Paris with Henri Mulhae and Jules Domont. Around 1912 or so she returned to the Chicago and opened her own bookbinding studio in the Fine Arts Building. Penciled at the bottom of the fly leaf is perhaps her notes (or a collector's): "Virgina Chester / Chicago/ 1024 Fine Arts Bldg/ (code)/ 11/28/13/ (code)". This binding appears to have been influenced by French design and technique. Very Good. Item #013830
Price: $1,750.00