A bookplate to celebrate a birthday

A bookplate to celebrate a birthday

An anonymous designer

Dated 21 June 1863

An elaborate paper doily, imitating the fine effects of lace. The inscription is made out to ‘Mr Hugh Hughes’, with the ‘love of his son-in-law’. Though written in English, the plate is attached to a Welsh language version of Bunyan’s The Pilgrim’s Progress. It seems strange that the sentimental inscription is not in Cymric; was this the gift of an Englishman ingratiating himself with the father of his Welsh bride in a part of Wales (nr Conwy, in the north of the country), where native speakers predominated and the English were foreigners?

On front paste-down of Taith Y Pererin Darlunladol [The Pilgrim’s Progress].

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