Spine and Cover for Heman's Poetical Works
1851
Gold-stamped paper boards
7 3/4 x 4 3/4 inches
[A page from this volume]
This American edition of an extremely popular poet exemplifies the elaborate decoration of low-cost materials for book bindings made possible by mechanical presses. Perhaps intended as a gift or presentation book, it represents a middle-class emulation of aristocratic leather bindings.