1898 William Nicholson, folio, 12 lithographs, Special Edition Vellum Bound

W.E. Henley, illustrated by William Nicholson

London Types.

London, William Heinemann, 1898.

Publisher's device to title, 12 full-page colour lithographed illustrations by Nicholson; publisher's variant binding vellum-backed pictorial vellum boards

The rare special issue of Nicholson's London Types, in a rarer variant vellum binding with leather spine. Printed on Japanese vellum.

The Bus Driver was omitted from this edition and only appears in a simplified form on the front cover. The London types featuring in this edition are Guardsman (The Horse Guards), Hawker (Kensington), Beef-Eater (The Tower), Sandwich-Man (Trafalgar Square), Coster (Hammersmith), Lady (Rotten Row), Bluecoat Boy (Newgate Street), Policeman (Constitution Hill), News-Boy (The City), Drum-Major (Wimbledon Common), Flower Girl (Any Corner), and a Barmaid (Any Bar).

Nicholson had been working with Heinemann since the mid-1890s. As well as designing their windmill device, Nicholson created a number of books for Heinemann, including An Almanac of twelve Sports (1898) and The Square Book of Animals (1899). The accompanying 'Quatorzains' in this work are by the poet, critic & literary editor W.E. Henley, best remembered today for his poetic evocation of Victorian stoicism 'Invictus', written in 1875.

The limited 'Library Edition' published in an edition of 275 copies, this of even greater scarcity due to the vellum binding.

Binding a little stained and minor bumping to outer corners. Binding rubbed, ends worn with some splitting to foot (ca 2cm). Internally fine. Endpapers a little age toned.