Description
Here is a lovely early Roycroft title, “The Essay on Friendship” by Henry D Thoreau. Published by the Roycrofters in 1899, with 45 numbered pages, 7 3/4″ x 6 1/4″. Bound in caramel brown suede with silk endpapers, initials, borders, head and tail pieces. While an ad in the Sept 1899 Philistine identifies these elements as designed by Samuel Warner, the diamond initials have more recently been attributed to Wizard of Oz artist W W Denslow as the diamond T found in another book contains a small seahorse. (See also the Spring 2015 Baum Bugle).
In very good condition overall. The cover suede is beautiful and clean, even the oft-worn overlapping yapp edges. Inside, the front hinge is cracked though the book is still holding well, and there is a lovely dragon bookplate (of author Charles B Reed) on the front endpaper. Nice clean pages with some age toning. See also my Christmas Eve and 1900 Catalog from the same collection being listed this week!
