[GUILD OF WOMEN BINDERS]; Walter SCOTT, Esq. The Lady of the Lake. Edinburgh: James Ballantyne and Co., 1816.
8vo. Full black morocco; raised bands to spine, spine lettered and ornamented in gilt; boards ornately decorated in gilt; all edges gilt; marbled endpapers; pp. [xiii], 4-423; with an engraved frontispiece and six plates; offsetting from calf turn-ins; foxing and offsetting from frontispiece and plates, a beautifully rebound copy.
Frontispiece plate after original 1811 title, engraved by John Pye after Richard Westall. The Guild of Women Binders played a crucial role in challenging gender norms in the bookbinding profession and contributed to the recognition of women's artistic and craftsmanship abilities in this field. One of the distinctive features of the Guild of Women Binders was its focus on artistic and creative bookbinding. Members were known for their beautifully bound books, which often incorporated elements of the Arts and Crafts movement, Art Nouveau, and other artistic styles of the time. Their work was characterized by intricate tooling, decorative motifs, and exceptional craftsmanship.Today, the works produced by the guild are highly collectible and prized for their artistic and historical significance.
The Lady of the Lake is a narrative poem written by Sir Walter Scott and published in 1810. It is set in the picturesque Scottish Highlands during the early 16th century and is considered one of Scott's most famous works. It revolves around the characters of King James V, Ellen Douglas (the Lady of the Lake), and the Highland chieftain Roderick Dhu. The narrative involves political intrigue, romantic entanglements, and conflicts between Highland clans and the Lowland government. The poem explores themes of loyalty, honor, and identity against the backdrop of the beautiful Scottish landscape. It is a classic of Romantic literature, known for its vivid descriptions and use of local Scottish dialect and folklore.
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