UNRECORDED RUSKINIANA: New-Year’s Address and Messages to Blackfriars Bible class, Aberdeen

Three seemingly unrecorded New-Year’s messages written by John Ruskin and other grandees for students in Aberdeen. Dated respectively 1873, 1874 & 1878, within each issue Ruskin has offered his new year message in letter form. The volume is housed within a hinged clam shell box containing the bookplate of ‘JM’ - John Morgan of Rubislaw House, a master builder who constructed many of Aberdeen’s great granite buildings.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Contemporary clam shell box in good condition. Blue calf covered exterior, lightly worn, showing a little shelf wear. Blind ruled to front and rear. Faux spine panel in 6 compartments titled ‘Ruskin Miscellaneous’. A little shelf worn to top and tail. Marbled faux text block edges in very good condition. Internally boards are marbled, in very good condition. Original blue ribbon intact. Owner’s bookplate to pastedown.

Clam shell box holds small octavo volume in very good condition. Half morocco binding over marbled boards. Spine panel embossed in gilt reads ‘New Year’s Messages – Ruskin’. Marbled endpapers in very good condition front and rear. Each issue within remains in original glazed paper wrappers. A little light foxing throughout. Owner’s bookplates to rear wrapper of all three issues. Each issue contains some words from John Ruskin followed by other contributors including The Right Honourable WE Gladstone, Rev. Thomas Gilfillan, Rev. Alexander Raleigh, Henry M Barker, Joseph Vickery, John Fulsford, Rev. FW Farrar and Duncan M West. Bound by Zaehnsdorf.