The Love-Lyrics & Songs of Proteus
London: Kelmscott Press, 1892. First Thus. The 3rd book published by William Morris at the Kelmscott Press, one of 300 copies. The only Kelmscott press book with initials in red. Bound in original stiff vellum with gilding on the spine. Binding is toned and lacking the original silk ties. Slightly bowed. Top edge roughly trimmed, long and lower edges uncut. Edges toned. The interior is clean with very small pencil "x's" next to poems that were inspired by the original owner, Mabel Batten, a one-time lover of the author. A laid in envelop with pencil writing providing short details about the poems she inspired. One poem, "Song, Butterflies," even gives attribution to Mabel, as printed in the margin it states, "Song , Butterflies from words by M. B." Also laid in is an old photograph of a stately house, no details on the house available. Finally, a detailed description of the evolution of this book and the relationship between William Morris and Wilfrid Scawen Blunt, as well as additional details about Mabel Batten written up by a previous seller is laid in.
Pages: (16) 251 (5) Dimensions: 8(3/16) x 5(7/8) x 1(1/4). Very Good+. Item #6130
Price: $7,000.00