Bookbinding, morocco with floral inlays, c.1900

Guild of Women-Binders.- Lamb (Charles) Rosamund Gray and Barbara S., number 5 of 25 copies on Japanese vellum, title in green & black, bound in crushed olive morocco with all-over design of gilt tendrils with inlaid flower heads in red, blue & pink and small pink & brown heart-shaped leaves, the background partly filled with dots in blind, spine titled in gilt with inlaid small red dots and hearts, tan morocco doublures with rich design of inlaid red circles and green hearts tooled in gilt with swirling tendrils & small dots and some dots in blind, vellum linings with small gilt dots to corners, signed in gilt at foot of front lining, g.e., spine slightly rubbed & faded, preserved in modern cloth drop-back box, small 8vo (c.140 x 105mm.), R.Brimley Johnson, York Library, [c.1900].*** The Guild of Women-Binders was founded in 1898 by the London bookseller and founder of The Hampstead Bindery Frank Karslake to teach the craft to women and market their bindings.

Karslake hosted the Guild's first 'Exhibition of Artistic Bookbinding by Women' at his shop, which ran from November 1897 to February 1898. The Guild was dissolved in 1904.A pencil note to the front free endpaper states that the binding was designed & worked by Miss Bedell who is listed as part of the Guild but nothing more is known about her.