73
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257. SELIGMAN, Germain. merchants of Art. 1880-1960. eighty years of professional collecting New York. Appleton-Century Crofts Inc. 1961.
£4,500
8vo., finely bound by roger powell in 1964 in full brown morocco with a vertical panel of gilt and blind linear decoration with black morocco inlays lettered with the title, all edges gilt, with quarter morocco chemise and slipcase.
A fine roger powell binding that was exhibited in london at the Arts council, 1965, no.48. With a handwritten note by powell tipped in at the rear describing the binding and the materials used.
from the library of the collector major John roland Abbey with his bookplate. Abbey commissioned powell to bind various books and we believe this was one such commission. he also commission bindings from sybil pye and from roger de coverley & sons.
in 1930 roger powell began training as a bookbinder at the central school of Arts and crafts in london. After he completed the course he opened his own bindery, then became a partner with sandy cockerell in the major bindery of cockerell & son in letchworth, hertfordshire. he also taught part- time at the central school until 1943, when he moved to the royal college of Art, where he taught until his retirement in 1956. there he was succeeded by his best pupil peter Waters.
powell left cockerell & son in 1947 and again set up his own bindery in froxfield, hampshire. here he did some of his most notable work, including the rebinding of the book of kells in 1953 and work on many other important historical manuscripts. he and peter Waters became partners in the froxfield firm, working together until Waters emigrated to the united states in 1971. Aided by the design talents of peter’s wife, calligrapher sheila Waters, this partnership produced some of the most masterful and acclaimed collector designer bindings of the mid-20th century. they worked on the conservation of the many books and manuscripts damaged in the florence flood of 1966. powell was appointed an officer of the order of the british empire (obe) in 1976.
fellow binder and collector bernard middleton described powell as “one of the most important and influential bookbinders of the last hundred years and, arguably, of any period”.
258. SHADOW BOX. victorian shadow box shrine [germany. no date c. 1850].
£998
8vo., full red morocco, elaborately decorated in blind with gilt panels with leaf corner pieces, spine elaborately gilt in compartments. With original metal clasp with decorative mounts.
this “book” opens to reveal in the hollow text block a diorama of the blessed virgin mary standing in a pastoral scene surrounded by a flock of sheep. the glass covered image is made up of layers of cut paper to create a three dimensional effect. on the front pastedown is a calligraphed prayer in german to the bvm. A remarkable piece.
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