Detail of gilt birds from book cover.
Back cover of The Gift: A Christmas and New Year's Present (Philadelphia, 1839). [Gift of Michael Zinman]

Back cover of The Gift: A Christmas and New Year’s Present (Philadelphia, 1839). [Gift of Michael Zinman]

This book cover has such interesting gold stamping. The unusual design of the four corner brasses incorporates images of animals in the swirls and curlicues.
Detail of gilt birds and scrolling from book cover.

The birds look so determined as they fly under the ornaments!

Detail of gilt bird from the book cover. The bird has an intense face.

 

Detail of gilt lion and scrolling from book cover.

I particularly love the roaring lion with his tongue sticking out.  If you look closely, his tail has become one of the swirls of the corner piece, although it’s in the wrong place to attach to his body properly.

Jennifer Rosner
Chief of Conservation

The Library Company of Philadelphia
1314 Locust St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
TEL 215-546-3181 FAX 215-546-5167
http://www.librarycompany.org
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