Mason, William

Poems

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by W. Blanchard York 1796 A New Edition. Two volumes. 8vo. [192 x 115 x 54 mm]. [3]ff, 298pp; [2]ff, vi, [i],243 pp. Contemporary binding by Christian Kalthoeber (with his orange ticket on the front endleaf in vol.1) of tree calf, the covers with a gilt "Greek-key" roll border. Smooth spines divided into six panels by the gilt "Greek-key" roll, lettered in the second and third panels and at the foot on green goatskin labels, the other panels tooled with fillets, a lattice roll and a spiked roll, the edges of the boards and turn-ins tooled with gilt pearl rolls, marbled endleaves, yellow edges. (Joints slightly rubbed, small loss of gilt in patches on the spine of vol.2). Mason's Poems were first published in 1764, and frequently thereafter. This is a very good copy in a handsome binding by Kalthoeber. Christian Samuel Kalthoeber came from Germany to London, and worked first with Baumgarten, whom he succeeded in 1782. He must have had a large shop, and he was regarded in his day as the finest binder in the world. George III admired his work, Beckford chose him to bind for his library, and Catherine the Great is said to have made great efforts to lure him to St. Petersburg. By 1802 the business was in decline, and was soon taken over by a fellow German, Frederick Deschlein. From 1808 until 1814 Kalthoeber worked in the Comte de Chaumont's bindery, and then for the bookseller Otridge. He was still alive in 1817, when he was mentioned by Dibdin. With the contemporary signature of Eliz. Hervey in both volumes.

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• ordernr.: ebc2895

• bookseller: George Bayntun (GREAT BRITAIN)