‎SILVER BINDING - Richard BAXTER ( author ) - Harriet HAMILTON ( provenance ) :‎
‎The Saints' Everlasting Rest . or, a Treatise of the Blessed state of the Saints... ( silver binding ) .‎

‎" London, George Virtue, 1846, in-8°, 21,5 x 13,5 cm, (12)nn pp (title, engraved portait, manuscript ex-libris leaves) + 672 pp. Binding ; Silver binding over black velvet with large silver supra libro with the initials HH (130 x 80 mm), silver decoration and silver title label on spine. Both covers completely bordered with an elaborate silver frame with two large clasps. All edges gilt and decorated with a blindtooled pattern. The binding is in very good shape. Only a tiny fragment of one of the spine ornaments is missing. Provenance; Bound before the title are two vellum paper leaves containing quotes from the bible and the opening sentence ; '' Harriet Hamilton, her book, june 1854''. Also the initials HH on the front cover refer to Harriet Hamilton. Most probably (*) this book belonged to Lady Harriet Hamilton (*6.7.1834 , +23.4.1913) daughter of James Hamilton 1st Duke of Abercom. She is depicted as a baby in a famous painting by Landeer. There exists a picture by Roger Fenton of her which would have been taken during the time when she purchased this book ; 12 May 1854 ; Lady Harriet Hamilton as Mary Queen of Scots, for Countess Walewska's Ball. In this picture she is portrayed with one book on her lap and two books on a nearby table (Royal Collection RCIN 2906578). Fenton depicted her also as Lady Jane Grey in the same year, in a similar pose, also surrounded by books (San Francisco AMICA library ID FASF.6065). (*)We can not ascribe this book with absolute certainty to the library of Lady Harriet Hamilton because several persons with her name lived in England around 1854. However the luxurious execution of the binding which would have been very expensive, together with the fact that she was in her prime in 1854 and socially very active makes her the most likely candidate."‎

Reference : 38172

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