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FRANCIS TURNER PALGRAVE — THE GOLDEN TREASURY
London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1919
First and Second Series in One Volume
Full Red Morocco Leather Fine Binding
All Edges Gilt • Marbled Endpapers • 1921 Presentation Inscription
PALGRAVE, Francis Turner, editor. The Golden Treasury of the Best Songs and Lyrical Poems in the English Language. London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1919.
First and Second Series complete in one volume.
A handsome early twentieth-century edition of Palgrave’s celebrated anthology of English lyric poetry, bound in full deep-red morocco leather with gilt decoration, marbled endpapers, decorative dentelles, and all edges gilt.
THE GOLDEN TREASURY
First published in 1861, Palgrave’s Golden Treasury became one of the most influential and enduring anthologies of English poetry.
This combined edition contains both the First and Second Series, bringing together poems by many of the major writers in the English language, including:
THE BINDING
Bound in full deep-red morocco leather with restrained floral gilt decoration.
Features include:
Full red morocco leather
Five raised spine bands
Gilt-lettered spine
Publication date in gilt at the foot
Floral gilt tools in the spine compartments
Multiple gilt rules on both covers
Small floral corner ornaments
Gilt-ruled board edges
Decorative gilt dentelles
Marbled endpapers
All page edges gilt
Green silk ribbon marker
The binding is unsigned, and no attribution to a particular binder is made.
The design is especially attractive in its balance and restraint: the boards are framed with parallel gilt rules and small floral ornaments, while the spine carries a complementary arrangement of flowers, leaves, and gilt lines.
JANE ROSENTHAL PROVENANCE
The volume contains two ownership bookplates bearing the name Jane Rosenthal.
The pictorial bookplate incorporates architectural and allegorical imagery together with the phrases:
“TO STRIVE AND NOT TO YIELD”
and
“TO CHOOSE THY LIFE AND LIVE IT”
A handwritten gift inscription dated 1921 provides additional early presentation provenance.
These features suggest that the book was specially selected and presented shortly after publication, making the fine binding particularly appropriate to its original use as a gift volume.
CONDITION
Very Good overall, with visible binding wear.
The deep-red morocco remains supple, bright, and attractive. The gilt decoration on the covers, spine, board edges, and dentelles remains strong and clearly defined.
There is rubbing and loss of surface color along the joints, particularly the front joint, together with wear at the spine ends, raised bands, corners, and other extremities. The head of the spine shows noticeable rubbing. The front joint is worn but the board remains securely attached, and the binding presently appears structurally sound.
The boards retain good color and display well. The gilt page edges remain bright, with expected minor handling marks.
The marbled endpapers and gilt dentelles are attractive and well preserved. The silk ribbon marker is present.
Internally, the pages are generally clean and bright, with mild age toning and occasional minor spotting or handling wear. The two Jane Rosenthal bookplates and the dated 1921 gift inscription remain present.
Please examine all photographs carefully, particularly the images of the front joint, spine ends, bookplates, inscription, and representative interior pages. The photographs show the actual copy offered and form an important part of the condition description.
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DETAILS
Editor: Francis Turner Palgrave
Title: The Golden Treasury
Publisher: Macmillan and Co., Limited
Place: London
Date: 1919
Contents: First and Second Series in one volume
Language: English
Binding: Full red morocco leather
Spine: Five raised bands with gilt floral decoration
Endpapers: Marbled
Edges: All edges gilt
Marker: Green silk ribbon
Binder: Unsigned
Provenance: Jane Rosenthal bookplates and 1921 gift inscription
Condition: Very Good, with rubbing and joint wear
An appealing leather-bound presentation of one of the great English poetry anthologies, combining both series of Palgrave’s Golden Treasury with decorative full morocco, gilt ornament, marbled endpapers, and documented ownership dating from shortly after publication.
