Binding by Kelliegram for Alfred Tennyson's "Poems" (published by Edward Moxon and Co.)

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Binding for Tennyson's Poems

Kelliegram

1862

Leather

8.25 x 5.75 inches

With portrait frontispiece and numerous in-text illustrations, this was exquisitely bound by Kelliegram (stamp-signed in gilt on rear dentelle). [Kelliegram was a London firm founded in 1770 by John Kellie, known for its lavish bindings. Click on image to enlarge it; commentary continues below.]

The Moxon Tennyson

Photograph and text by Edward Nudelman; formatting by Jacqueline Banerjee.

[You may use this image without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose as long as you (1) credit the photographer and (2) link to this URL in a web document or cite it in a print one.]

Commentary by Edward Nudelman

Bound in full rich crushed red morocco with floriated motif on cover and spine consisting of finely gilt vine, leaf, and petal designs taking up more than half of the untooled space on cover, and filling up most of the spine (5 out of 6 panels).... Magnificent broad and attractively tooled dentelles with six concentric gilt rules and clusters of flowers and petals at each corner. Green silk doublures and endpapers with a matching green silk ribbon marker. Publisher's original purple cloth spine and front panel, both heavily tooled in gilt, bound-in at rear.

Of special interest in this copy is a signed autograph letter from Tennyson to the Duchess of Sutherland written on mourning stationary (i.e. black borders): "29 Welbeck St. My dear Duchess, Mr Fairbairn tells me that you are coming up to the opening of the International Exhibition. Is it so? & if so, do you return on Friday? & if you do, shall I come to Cliveden on that day & stay till Monday morning? Ever Yours, A Tennyson - for on Tuesday I must return to the Isle of Wight." Anne Sutherland-Leveson-Gower, Duchess of Sutherland (1829-1888) was an advocate and supporter of the arts, especially Tennyson.

Bibliography

Alfred Tennyson. Poems. London: Edward Moxon and Co., 1862.

Created 20 May 3021