Evenings at Haddon Hall, A Series of Romantic Tales of the Olden Time
- London: Henry G. Bohn, 1848
London: Henry G. Bohn, 1848. First edition. Octavo (8 5/8 x 5 5/8 inches; 219 x 143 mm.). [viii], [1]-453, [1, blank] pp. Engraved frontispiece, engraved vignette title-page and twenty-four fine engraved plated by George Cattermole. Bound ca. 1910 by Rivière & Son in full maroon straight-grain morocco, covers elaborately bordered in gilt and blind, spine with five raised bands, elaborately tooled in gilt and blind, and lettered in gilt in compartments. Gilt-ruled board edges, gilt decorated turn-ins, pink endpapers, all edges gilt. A very fine example with the remains of the bookplate of Frederick S. Peck and an old bookseller's descriptions on front paste-down. Housed in a felt-lined burgundy cloth clamshell case, spine with leather label, lettered in gilt. Fore-edge painting by Miss C.B. Currie depicting Haddon Hall. Together with a letter of authenticity from Jeff Weber and the original receipted invoice to Randall Moscovitz dated September 5, 2012.
Featuring a delicate fore-edge painting by Miss C.B. Currie "showing the dignity and grandeur of Haddon Hall… flanked by towering trees and beautiful greensward. Horses are being led to their stable by a groom and a mounted horseman can be seen in the middle distance talking to two young ladies" (Weber). The artist Miss C.B. Currie [Caroline Billin Curry] (1849-1940) was one of the most beloved book painters of the 20th century, who spent the majority of her career working for Henry Sotheran Booksellers, in London. “She became famous for her miniature paintings applied to two art forms. First on ivory, mounted on Rivière bindings and named by her employer as "Cosway" bindings. Later she expanded her work into the art of painting on the fanned edge of a book -- called a fore-edge painting. Most of these paintings were signed and numbered by the artist. Whereas fore-edge painting history is replete with unknown artists, Currie is a notable exception... In the book world, the name Miss C.B. Currie is widely recognized, yet her personal life and real name remained guarded and unknown until now. It turns out her name was, in fact, partly a pseudonym. Though her work is highly prized, there is no known published biography. Her correct full name was recently discovered to be Caroline Billin Curry. During her entire artistic career Curry used the slightly altered version of her name "Currie". Her true full name is not to be found in any published record of her work from Sotheran's” (Weber).
Although unsigned, expert Jeff Weber firmly attributes the painting on this book to Miss C.B. Currie based on style and binding. He explains "… though unsigned, and as such this is the only known book without a Currie signature but bears all the signs of having been painted by her. It is on the Rivière binding, it lacks the usual "colophon" leaf seen with nearly all other Currie paintings. Currie painted both fore-edge paintings and Cosway miniatures on ivory, both in bindings commissioned and bound for Sotheran's by Rivière and Son. There are Currie paintings on ivory that are datable to pre-1910 and yet they are not signed. Peck was an active book buyer during this same period (his home and library was built in 1905), raising the likelihood that he bought a Currie fore-edge prior to her signing them" (Weber).
Provenance: Frederick S. Peck - Parke-Bernet Galleries, November 14-15, 1944, lot 114; G.J. Guthrie Nicholson, Parke-Bernet Galleries, November 8-9, 1948, lot 231; Jeff Weber Rare Books - sold to Randall Moscovitz, September 5th, 2012. Frederick S. Peck (1868-1947), born in Providence Rhode Island, became a Legislator, and lived in Barrington, R.I. His papers are located at the Rhode Island Historical Society.
Weber, Annotated Dictionary of Fore-Edge Painting, 306.
Featuring a delicate fore-edge painting by Miss C.B. Currie "showing the dignity and grandeur of Haddon Hall… flanked by towering trees and beautiful greensward. Horses are being led to their stable by a groom and a mounted horseman can be seen in the middle distance talking to two young ladies" (Weber). The artist Miss C.B. Currie [Caroline Billin Curry] (1849-1940) was one of the most beloved book painters of the 20th century, who spent the majority of her career working for Henry Sotheran Booksellers, in London. “She became famous for her miniature paintings applied to two art forms. First on ivory, mounted on Rivière bindings and named by her employer as "Cosway" bindings. Later she expanded her work into the art of painting on the fanned edge of a book -- called a fore-edge painting. Most of these paintings were signed and numbered by the artist. Whereas fore-edge painting history is replete with unknown artists, Currie is a notable exception... In the book world, the name Miss C.B. Currie is widely recognized, yet her personal life and real name remained guarded and unknown until now. It turns out her name was, in fact, partly a pseudonym. Though her work is highly prized, there is no known published biography. Her correct full name was recently discovered to be Caroline Billin Curry. During her entire artistic career Curry used the slightly altered version of her name "Currie". Her true full name is not to be found in any published record of her work from Sotheran's” (Weber).
Although unsigned, expert Jeff Weber firmly attributes the painting on this book to Miss C.B. Currie based on style and binding. He explains "… though unsigned, and as such this is the only known book without a Currie signature but bears all the signs of having been painted by her. It is on the Rivière binding, it lacks the usual "colophon" leaf seen with nearly all other Currie paintings. Currie painted both fore-edge paintings and Cosway miniatures on ivory, both in bindings commissioned and bound for Sotheran's by Rivière and Son. There are Currie paintings on ivory that are datable to pre-1910 and yet they are not signed. Peck was an active book buyer during this same period (his home and library was built in 1905), raising the likelihood that he bought a Currie fore-edge prior to her signing them" (Weber).
Provenance: Frederick S. Peck - Parke-Bernet Galleries, November 14-15, 1944, lot 114; G.J. Guthrie Nicholson, Parke-Bernet Galleries, November 8-9, 1948, lot 231; Jeff Weber Rare Books - sold to Randall Moscovitz, September 5th, 2012. Frederick S. Peck (1868-1947), born in Providence Rhode Island, became a Legislator, and lived in Barrington, R.I. His papers are located at the Rhode Island Historical Society.
Weber, Annotated Dictionary of Fore-Edge Painting, 306.