[Fine Binding | W.H. Smith / Douglas Cockerell] The Poetical Works of Lord Byron

Lord Byron. The Poetical Works of Lord Byron. London: Henry Frowde, 1907. Engraved frontispiece.  Bound in pebbled dark navy morocco by W.H. Smith & Son under Douglas Cockerell, featuring a signature Arts & Crafts design of a cluster of gilt leaves, flowers, and vines to each of the four corners, connected with three lines in gilt and two in blind. Title to the second compartment of spine, with leaf cluster borders to the remaining compartments. Dark green marbled endpapers and gilt-tooled turn-ins; all edges gilt. "WHS" blind-stamped on bottom of rear pastedown. Measures 

5.25" x 7.5". Some light rubbing to edges and bumping to corners, with bumps and wear to upper 1/2" of rear cover. An approx. 2" closed split to bottom front joint. Board slightly bowed, front flyleaf excised.

"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 [1905-1914] were specially designed by him" (Bookbinding in the British Isles).