69
244 binding design by edmund street
244. PRAYER BOOK. the book of common prayer, and Administration of the sacraments, and other rites and ceremonies of the church, according to the use of the church of england; together with the psalter or psalms of david, pointed as they are to be sung or said in churches Oxford. Printed at the University Press. 1871.
£2,995
8vo., finely bound after a design by george edmund street in full tan morocco, ruled in black, with five brass mounted semi-precious stones on each board, with two elaborate brass clasps with enamel coats of arms and each set with a semi-precious stone, watered silk endpapers, all edges gilt. Just a little rubbing to binding otherwise a very good copy.
A handsome piece of high victorian design. loosely inserted is an autograph letter on Winchester close headed paper, initialled Aed which states “these two books were designed by mr edmund street & presented to lady ripon for studley church at the time that lord ripon went over to the roman catholic church. Aed march 4 1922”.
this brief note understates the interesting provenance of the book. lord and lady ripon lived in studley royal and st mary’s church was built for them between 1871 and 1878. designed by William burges it is a masterpiece of high victorian design and it is a pleasing conceit that this prayer book, intended for use in the new church, was also designed by a leading architect and colleague of burges, george edmund street.
street’s magnum opus was the royal courts of Justice in london, and his designs for this were championed by gladstone. gladstone and lord ripon were close political allies and friends and the commision of this binding design by street may have been influenced by gladstone’s high regard, together with burges’s close association with him.
the twist in this tale of victorian design comes with the surprise conversion of lord ripon to the catholic church in 1874, in the middle of the building of st mary’s. lady ripon, however, was not for turning and the building of the church continued notwithstanding her husband’s spiritual crisis.
the death of lady ripon in february 1907 was a severe blow to lord ripon and accelerated his desire for retirement. An unfailing source of comfort and support, a hostess of great charm and some influence, uniting both gladstone and disraeli in their admiration of her, lady ripon was a constant helpmate for the fifty-five years of their marriage. though separated by religious belief they remained devoted to one another. lord ripon was finally buried in 1909 with his wife in st mary’s.
the second book mentioned in the letter we presume was a bible to accompany this prayer book. its whereabouts is sadly not known.
245. PROUST, Marcel. remembrance of things past. Chatto & Windus. 1941-44.
£148
8vo. original light blue cloth with silver lettering on red lozenge and silver decoration to spine; very good. Provenance: vol 1 with inscription of film director, actor and writer Bryan Forbes to ffep, his bookplate to vol 3.
mixed editions. translation by c.k. scott moncrieff.
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