[Embroidered Binding] Songs of the Spindle & Legends of the Loom

[Langdale Linen Industry] Warner, H. H. Songs of the Spindle & Legends of the Loom. London: N.J. Powell, 1889. Limited edition of 250 copies, of which this is #17. Handmade paper. The names of all parties involved in the making of the book (down to the spinners of thread and weavers of linen) are included in a foreword. Headbands and initials by F. Anderson. Four autogravure plates and three full-page illustrations by various artists. Bound in linen with a central panel featuring flax plants in light blue with green stalks and leaves, with the title sewn outside the panel at the top and bottom.

It's possible this may have been a "deluxe" binding of the title, or executed by one of the craftspeople noted in the foreword, given a) the flax plant decoration and b) the linen utilized appears to be of a very similar quality as that used in the standard binding. Owner inscription (with two addresses) on limitation page. Measures 7" x 9". Bumping to corners and some rubbing to covers.

As noted in Green Victorians: The Simple Life in John Ruskin's Lake District by Vicky Albritton and Fredrik Albritton Jonsson: "Songs of the Spindle & Legends of the Loom was a symbol of that had been lost, and more importantly, all that could be regained. ... In an age when consumers were agog with wonder at steam-powered marvels, Warner and [Albert] Fleming hoped to force readers to pause and consider the local and individual features of the object closely."