[Fine Binding | The Roycroft Shop] Life Lessons

Hubbard, Alice. Life Lessons. Truths Concerning People Who Have Lived. For the Young of All Ages. East Aurora, NY: The Roycrofters, 1909. Printed on Japan vellum. Sepia sketch of Alice and Miriam Hubbard by Jules Gaspard, with eight photogravure portrait plates and tissue guards. Text printed in two columns, printed in red and black with green borders. Initials, ornaments and title-page especially designed for this book by Dard Hunter. Typography by Charles Rosen.

A stunning modeled calf leather binding produced by the Roycrofters (likely Frederick Kranz), featuring the title and author hand-lettered on a small rectangular raised "plaque" in the center of the volume, and an incised & modeled design resembling angel wings extending outward and upward. Two large columns flank this design, accented with gouged and hammered sections. Five bands to spine, with hand-tooled title and author. Large panel on the rear cover, with gouged and hammered borders. As with the best of the Roycroft's modeled bindings, a subtle gilding has been applied in order to lend the design a 3-dimensional effect. Priced at $40.00 in a 1910 Roycroft catalogue and $100.00 in a 1927 catalogue. The volume exhibits a few minor spots of rubbing and very light marks to the leather. Housed in its original (well worn) suede-lined solander box, with the leather at the spine of the box chipped and worn.

A superb binding, and one of the finest examples of Roycroft modeled leather I've handled.