BEAUTIFULLY REPRODUCED ILLUSTRATIONS : Poems of Passion

Ella Wheeler Wilcox's Poems of Passion, her major poetry collection first published in 1883 which includes her poem 'Solitude', and the lines 'Laugh, and the world laughs with you; weep, and you weep alone'. This volume is undated, c1910. Hardback in good condition, bound in light green cloth with ornate gilt decoration to spine and upper board. Slightly bumped to corners, a little stained, spine sunned. The book is printed on thick, textured paper with pages untrimmed to fore-edge; top edge gilt. Decorative endpapers in very good condition. Reproduced from a hand-illuminated copy by the binders Sangorski and Sutcliffe. Vibrantly coloured frontispiece surrounded in gilt and floral illuminated border protected wonderfully by tissue guard. Stunning title page with equally pleasing highly decorative borders. Very occasional spotting to leaves within as expected. Contains Introductory Verses plus 39 individual poems. Each poem within is charmingly decorated in vibrant tones with gilt additions incorporating beautifully illuminated initials. Very light scattered foxing and tanning throughout as expected but this remains a very attractive and very sound copy. 19.5 × 14 cm, 101 pp. Collated and complete. Printed by WW Curtis Ltd at the Cheylesmore Press, Coventry.