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London: Macmillan & Co., Limited, 1907, Globe Edition. Bound by Cedric Chivers of Bath (gilt-signed to the rear paste down), full vellum, top-edge gilt. Full decorated vellum, 7 inches tall. A superb example of a vellucent binding by CEDRIC CHIVERS of Bath. The vellum is decorated with gilt and original watercolour designs. Inner gilt decoration to the vellum turn-ins and gilt top edge. Beautiful binding in very good condition, marbled endpapers, gilt decorated spine and boards, board edges. viii, 644pp plus 1 page index and blank. James Edwards of Halifax patented a technique for painted vellum bindings in 1785. He soaked the area to be painted with water to which a small quantity of pearl ash had been added and pressed the vellum…which made the skin virtually transparent. The vellum was then painted to the flesh side of the skin, so that when the book was bound, the painting was protected between the vellum and the cover of the book…. Chivers revisited the technique of using transparent vellum, but bound over painted paper panels, giving the name vellucent to this technique… Brian Cole [Aspire to the Beautiful p78]. In his large bindery at Portway, Bath, Chivers employed about forty women for folding, sewing, mending, and collating work, and in addition, five more women worked in a separate department, to design, illuminate, and colour vellum for book decoration, and to work on embossed leather. These five were Dorothy Carleton Smyth, Alice Shepherd, Miss J.D. Dunn, Muriel Taylor, and Agatha Gales. Most Vellucent bindings were designed by H. Granville Fell, but the woman most frequently employed for this kind of work was probably Dorothy Carleton Smyth [Marianne Tidcombe, Women Bookbinders 1880-1920, p. 86]. This binding was executed by Dorothy C Smyth and is on page 38 Plate 11 of Tidcombe s book. This similar binding recently sold at auction in Ireland for 4000 euros with a few more faults than the one for sale here. Provenance: no inscriptions or bookplates. 7 ¾ inches tall. Condition Report Externally Spine very good condition gilt titles to a cream panel, gilt filet to the top and base and vellucent painting with gilt decoration. Joints very good condition. Corners very good condition gently worn. Boards very good condition King Arthur Pendragon to the front board with gilt titles, vellucent painting of King Arthur, floral painting with gilt decoration, Guinevere His Queen gilt titles, vellucent painting to the rear board. Page edges good condition top edge gilt, others tanned. See above and photos. Internally Hinges very good condition solid. Paste downs good condition marbled, with vellum and gilt lined vellum turn-ins, the rear marbled paper rubbed and worn, possibly from the removal of a label. End papers good condition marbled, tanned and foxed subsequently. Title good condition tanned. Pages good condition tanned, some foxing and marks. Binding good condition solid, attractive. See photos. Publisher: see above. Publication Date: 1907 Binding: Hardback.
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