Pre-Raphaelite Ballads

New York City: A. Wessels Co. , 1900. First edition. Hardback. Good. 8.5" by 6.5". H. M. O'Kane. One of five hundred copies of William Morris' ballads with decorations by H. M. O'Kane. The first edition of this work, one of two hundred and fifty copies printed on Imperial Japanese Paper, this copy numbery two hundred and thirty one. A scarce copy. With decorations and illustrations in black and white by H. M. O'Kane. Some lovely verses by the famous British textile designer, novelist, artist, philosopher, William Morris, a very popular figure in the nineteenth century, his work immensely influenced the tradition of British textile art and methods of production and remains pervasive to this day, as well as a great influence on interior decoration throughout the Victorian period. In the original publisher's full paper vellum binding. Externally generally sound with shelf wear, bumped and chipped to extremities of boards and spine, boards and spine lightly soiled, spine title label chipped. Some chipping along the rear joint. University of California library bookplate to front pastedown, library punctured stamp to title page, shelf number stamped to first leaf of text, and to rear endpapers, which feature evidence of the removal of bookplate to rear pastedown, and removal of an article strip to rear free endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean. With decorations and illustrations by H. M. O'Kane. Good