Fine Bindings, Romulus and Remus suckling. Comic History of Rome, Gilbert Abbot A' Beckett. Illustrator John Leech. Riviere and Son binding.

A humorous gilt tool of Romulus and Remus suckling at a motherly wolf, after John Leech's frontis, decorates the front board of this Riviere and Son binding of The Comic History of Rome.

This book was originally given to R.H. Donnelley. Also, with the bookplate of his daughter Eleanor under the gift inscription.

The Comic History of Rome was immensely successful in the 19th century, going through many editions (this is a later edition, although there is no copyright date the address of the printer indicates it was printed after 1874). It paired the talents of Gilbert Abbot A' Beckett with the illustrative humor of John Leech, finding great sucess; the same also paired for a Comic History of England.

Physical Attributes -

Measures approximately 21 x 13 x 2 cm. Green straight-grain morocco. Boards framed in double gilt fillet frame; front board with a central medallion of Romulus and Remus suckling. Spine with five raised bands; four compartments with a central gilt floret surrounded by stars and leaves, two compartments with the title and author in gilt. Edges rolled in gilt. Turn-ins rolled with a rich leafy tool. Marbled endpapers. All edges gilt. Illustrated, in color. Pages - xii, 308

Condition -

See pictures. Joints are quite tender with the starts of cracks. Some edge and corner wear to the binding. Spine sunned as normal for green bindings. Binder stamped bottom of flyleaf verso. Gift inscription (1925) and ex-libris plate on blank unpaginated front endpaper. Binder's marks at bottom of last printed leaf.