[Douglas Cockerell] Guest Book (c. 1905-1906) w/ Original Wooden Box

"Niger Morocco Guest Book". Letchworth: W.H. Smith & Son, Bookbinding Works [no date, but circa 1905-1906]. Printed on "Whatman 1905" paper.

Bound by W.H. Smith & Son to a Douglas Cockerell design in full reddish-brown niger morocco with cover featuring gilt-ruled borders, and embellished with small inlaid white dots and tiny floral tooling. Gilt lettering at the head of the upper cover featuring a quote from Homer's Odyssey: "We should a guest love while he loves to stay / And when he likes not give him loving way". Smooth spine with ruled border and title ("Guest Book") in gilt, stamp-signed in gilt with the "WHS" monogram on rear turn-in. Green cloth endpapers, top edges gilt.

Housed in the original hinged wooden shipping box, lined in felt, with W.H. Smith & Son's printed label to the cover.

Cockerell managed the bindery at W.H. Smith & Son, from 1905 to 1914. (“In a statement printed in G.D. Hobson - English Bindings of J.R. Abbey, p. 170, Cockerell notes that bindings signed with the ‘WHS’ stamp during this period were specially designed by him” Bookbinding in the British Isles.)