Wednesday, 13 November 2013

The Bliss binders: Lewis

Charles Lewis ("that Coryphaeus of book-binders"—DIBDIN) is one of the great names of English nineteenth-century binding. Lewis was born in London in 1786, the son of an Hanoverian immigrant, Johann Ludwig; he was apprenticed in London, to another German immigrant, Henry Walther and spent all his life there. He was perhaps Mrs. Bliss's favourite binder, completing some twenty-six bindings for her library.

Alexander’s (Wm.) Costume of China, illustrated in 48 coloured plates, red morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis  1805
1826 sale, lot 20

BATH, illustrated by a Series of Views from the Drawings of J. C. Nattes, with Descriptions, 28 plates and 2 vignettes, beautifully coloured, 1805; VERSAILLES, PARIS, and ST. DENIS, a Series of Views from Drawings by J. C. Nattes, with Descriptions, 40 plates, coloured, in 1 vol, russia, elegant, gilt leaves, by Lewis  1809
1826 sale, lot 91

Burgess’s (Sir J. B.) Birth and Triumph of Love, a Poem, 24 engravings, by Tomkins, splendidly bound in green morocco, broad gold borders, joints, gilt leaves, by C. Lewis  1796
1826 sale, lot 46

CHINESE DRAWINGS, a collection of 50 richly coloured Drawings, illustrating the Mythology of the Chinese, mounted and bound in green morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by C. Lewis
1826 sale, lot 494

CHINESE DRAWINGS, a collection of 103 original Drawings, illustrating the Heathen Mythology of the Chinese, most beautifully coloured, inlaid, and bound in red morocco, broad gold borders, gilt leaves, by Lewis
1826 sale, lot 518

COSTUME AND MANNERS OF THE HINDOOS, a collection of 30 original Drawings, to illustrate the Costume and Manners of the Hindoos, highly coloured, with descriptions on the back of each, guarded and bound in blue morocco, joints, by Lewis
1826 sale, lot 489

COSTUME AND MANNERS OF THE PERSIANS, 53 highly finished original Drawings, representing the Manners and Customs of the Persians, with rich borders, splendidly bound in blue morocco, joints, broad gold borders, gilt leaves, by Lewis
1826 sale, lot 482

COSTUME AND MANNERS OF THE PERSIANS, represented in 33 original exquisite Drawings, beautifully coloured, with borders and sprinkled with gold, guarded and bound in blue morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis
1826 sale, lot 488

COSTUMES OF THE PERSIANS, a collection of 59 original Drawings, illustrating the Costume, Manners, and Amusements of the Persians, most exquisitely coloured, with borders, and sprinkled with gold, bound in green morocco, elegant, gilt leaves, by Lewis
1826 sale, lot 511

Daniell’s (T. and W.) Picturesque Voyage to India by the way of China, a multitude of beautiful coloured plates, with descriptions, splendidly bound in red morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis  1810
1826 sale, lot 71

Donovan’s (E.) Natural History of the Insects of India, and the Islands in the Indian Seas, beautiful coloured plates, red morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis  1800
1826 sale, lot 76

Donovan’s (E.) Natural History of the Insects of China, plates, exquisitely coloured, red morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis  1798
1826 sale, lot 77

Ehret (G. D) Plantæ Selectæ quarum Imagines ad Exemplaria Naturalia Londini in Hortis Curiosorum Nutrita manu Artificiosa Doctaque Pinxit, 2 portraits, and 78 finely coloured engravings, calf extra, gilt leaves by Lewis  1750
1826 sale, lot 159

Foreign Field Sports, Fisheries, Sporting Anecdotes, &c. &c. with a supplement of New South Wales, 100 beautiful coloured plates, from drawings by Howitt, Atkinson, Clark, Manskirch, &c. red morocco elegant, gilt leaves, by Lewis  1814
1826 sale, lot 224

Harding’s (Edwd.) Portraits of the Whole of the Royal Family, engraved from the original Pictures, with duplicate portraits, plain and coloured, and 2 additional prints, most splendidly bound in red morocco, joints, broad gold borders, silk insides, by Lewis  1806
1826 sale, lot 178

HINDOO DRAWINGS, a collection of 25 original Drawings, to illustrate the Costume and Manners of the Hindoos, most exquisitely coloured, guarded, and bound in blue morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis
1826 sale, lot 515

HINDOO TRADES AND OCCUPATIONS, 43 original highly finished Drawings, with borders and descriptions, to illustrate the Trades, Occupations, Costumes, &c. of the Hindoos, guarded, and bound in blue morocco, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis
1826 sale, lot 516

HINDOO TRADES AND OCCUPATIONS — containing 42 beautiful Drawings, uniform with the preceding [lot 516], by Lewis1826 sale, lot 517

MAYER’S (LUIGI) VIEWS in Egypt, Palestine, and other parts of the Ottoman Empire, from original Drawings by Sir R. Ainslie, 2 vols, 72 highly coloured engravings, with descriptions in Fr. and Eng. Bensley 1801, Spilsbury’s Picturesque Scenery in the Holy Land and Syria, 2 portraits, and 16 beautiful coloured plates, with letter-press explanations, Bulmer 1803, in 1 vol, splendidly bound in red morocco, joints, broad gold border, gilt leaves, by Lewis
1826 sale, lot 298

MAYER’S (LUIGI) VIEWS in the Ottoman  Dominions in Europe, in Asia, and some of the Mediterranean Islands, from original Drawings taken by Sir R. Ainslie, 71 beautiful coloured plates, with descriptions in Fr. and Eng. russia extra, gilt leaves, by Lewis  Bowyer  1810
1826 sale, lot 297

ORIGINAL DRAWINGS OF BIRDS, a collection of upwards of 200 beautiful coloured original Drawings, illustrating the Ornithology of the Orientals, mounted and superbly bound, in 2 vols, red morocco, joints, gold borders, gilt leaves, by Lewis
1826 sale, lot 508

RELIGION, CUSTOMS, AND MANNERS OF THE HINDOOS a collection of 52 original Drawings to illustrate the Religion, Customs, and Manners of the Hindoos, exquisitely coloured, mounted and bound in green morocco, broad gold borders, joints, gilt leaves, by C. Lewis
1826 sale, lot 491

ROXBURGH’S (WM.) PLANTS OF THE COAST OF COROMANDEL; selected from Drawings and Descriptions presented to the Directors of the East India Company, published under the direction of Sir Joseph Banks, Bart. 200 fine coloured engravings, russia extra, joints, gilt leaves, by Lewis  Bulmer 1795
1826 sale, lot 338

Smith’s (C. H.) Selections of the Ancient Costume of Great Britain and Ireland from the 7th to the 16th Century, 60 coloured engravings, calf extra, broad gold border, gilt leaves, by Lewis  Bulmer 1814
1826 sale, lot 348

Somervile’s (W.) Chase, a Poem, illustrated with fine plates, by Howitt, Heath, Scott, Tookey, Stothard, &c., russia, extra, broad gold border, gilt leaves, by Lewis Bulmer 1796
1826 sale, lot 436

Young’s (John) SERIES of Portraits of the Emperors of Turkey from the Foundation of the Monarchy to the Year 1815, engraved from Pictures painted at Constantinople, with Biographical Account of each of the Emperors, LARGE PAPER, the portraits richly coloured, red morocco, broad gold borders, gilt leaves, by Lewis  1818
1826 sale, lot 372

References

Ellic Howe.—A list of London bookbinders, 1648-1815.—London : Bibliographical Society, 1950.

Thomas Frognall Dibdin.—The bibliographical decameron; or, Ten days pleasant discourse upon illuminated manuscripts, and subjects connected with early engraving, typography, and bibliography.—3 vol.—London : Printed for the author,  1817.

Howard M. Nixon & Mirjam M. Foot.—The History of Decorated Bookbinding in England.—Oxford : Clarendon Press, 1992.

Charles Ramsden.—London bookbinders, 1780-1840.—London : Batsford, 1956.

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