Details
HANWAY, Jonas (1712-86). Solitude in Imprisonment, with proper profitable labour and a spare diet, the most humane and effectual means of bringing malefactors, who have forfeited their lives, or are subject to transportation, to a right sense of their condition; with proposals for salutary prevention. London: for J. Bew, 1776.
8° (205 x 125mm). CONTEMPORARY CRIMSON STRAIGHT-GRAINED MOROCCO GILT, BOUND FOR JONAS HANWAY FOR PRESENTATION TO THE PRINCE OF WALES, the future King George IV, by Hanway's second binder, sides with a border of flowers and leafy sprigs, cornerpieces of the eye of God looking down from a cloud emitting an aureole, a flame tool issuing from upper and lower border from which are suspended a moon, a sun and the star of the order of the garter; in the centre the letters 'G.P.' [i.e. George, Prince], surrounded by four sprigs of roses and four stars; spine with five raised bands, green lettering-piece, the other compartments richly gilt, gilt edges. In lined cloth case. Provenance: Prince of Wales, later King George IV (1762-1830); J.R.Abbey (sale Sotheby's 20 June 1967 lot 1889); H.Bradley Martin (sale Sotheby's New York, 14 June 1990 lot 3397).
A PARTICULARLY FINE HANWAY BINDING, adorned with the emblematic tools devised by Hanway himself, and presented to King George IV when Prince of Wales. Amongst the many causes he championed, Hanway took up the case of those sentenced for a capital offence, recommending solitary confinement, rather than hanging or transportation. He published about sixty books and pamphlets, a number of which he had bound for presentation to important supporters of his charities. He used two anonymous London bookbinders who have not been identified. A census by G.D.Hobson (see below) lists 23 Hanway bindings on 18 of his books, including the present, and three on books by other authors, a few more have been discovered since 1940. Hobson (p.124), also quotes a contemporary manuscript explanation of the emblematic intent of these bindings "Roses strew the paths of Lord Romney and the future George IV; prince and peer walk in dazzling sunshine under the tender providential eye of almighty God, which is conducting them to the skies where they shall shine like stars".
LITERATURE: G.D.Hobson, English Bindings in the Library of J.R.Abbey, 1940, no.90 (this copy), no.xvi in the list of Hanway bindings.
H.Nixon, Five Centuries of English Bookbinding, 1978, no.78, describing a binding for George III.
8° (205 x 125mm). CONTEMPORARY CRIMSON STRAIGHT-GRAINED MOROCCO GILT, BOUND FOR JONAS HANWAY FOR PRESENTATION TO THE PRINCE OF WALES, the future King George IV, by Hanway's second binder, sides with a border of flowers and leafy sprigs, cornerpieces of the eye of God looking down from a cloud emitting an aureole, a flame tool issuing from upper and lower border from which are suspended a moon, a sun and the star of the order of the garter; in the centre the letters 'G.P.' [i.e. George, Prince], surrounded by four sprigs of roses and four stars; spine with five raised bands, green lettering-piece, the other compartments richly gilt, gilt edges. In lined cloth case. Provenance: Prince of Wales, later King George IV (1762-1830); J.R.Abbey (sale Sotheby's 20 June 1967 lot 1889); H.Bradley Martin (sale Sotheby's New York, 14 June 1990 lot 3397).
A PARTICULARLY FINE HANWAY BINDING, adorned with the emblematic tools devised by Hanway himself, and presented to King George IV when Prince of Wales. Amongst the many causes he championed, Hanway took up the case of those sentenced for a capital offence, recommending solitary confinement, rather than hanging or transportation. He published about sixty books and pamphlets, a number of which he had bound for presentation to important supporters of his charities. He used two anonymous London bookbinders who have not been identified. A census by G.D.Hobson (see below) lists 23 Hanway bindings on 18 of his books, including the present, and three on books by other authors, a few more have been discovered since 1940. Hobson (p.124), also quotes a contemporary manuscript explanation of the emblematic intent of these bindings "Roses strew the paths of Lord Romney and the future George IV; prince and peer walk in dazzling sunshine under the tender providential eye of almighty God, which is conducting them to the skies where they shall shine like stars".
LITERATURE: G.D.Hobson, English Bindings in the Library of J.R.Abbey, 1940, no.90 (this copy), no.xvi in the list of Hanway bindings.
H.Nixon, Five Centuries of English Bookbinding, 1978, no.78, describing a binding for George III.