THE RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM

London: Methuen and Co, 1901. No. 34 OF 60 COPIES (of which 50 were for sale). 231 x 147 mm. (9 1/8 x 5 3/4"). x, [ii], 283, [1] pp.Translated by Edward FitzGerald.
LOVELY LIGHT BROWN MOROCCO BY MACDONALD OF NEW YORK (stamp-signed in gilt on rear turn-in), covers with double gilt-ruled border and scalloped frame with teal morocco onlaid floral extensions and leaves, raised bands, gilt-ruled compartments with green morocco onlaid flowers and leaves, gilt lettering, turn-ins with three gilt rules and floral cornerpieces, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. A Large Paper Copy. Potter 142; Paas 3393 & 3394. ◆Traces of rubbing to joints and extremities, spine lightly toned (the teal onlays mellowed to light green), inconsequential isolated defects internally, but a fine copy in a lovely binding with only very trivial imperfections.

This is a lovely limited edition Large Paper Copy of FitzGerald's translation of the Rubaiyat, with lengthy biographies and commentary, and attractively bound by a leading American craftsman. James MacDonald (1850-1920) emigrated from Scotland in 1873 to work for William Matthews at the Appleton bindery, then, in 1882, went into business with another former Matthews apprentice, William Launder. As Lawrence Thompson tells us (in "Hand Bookbinding in the United States since the Civil War"), "for the next decade the name of Launder and MacDonald stood for the best in American hand binding; and after the partnership was dissolved, each man . . . continued to produce bindings sturdy in structure, simple and symmetrical in design, tasteful and neat in all respects. They have enjoyed the well-earned patronage of American bibliophiles for over half a century.".