Verses on Various Occasions

1795

de Beer Eb 1795 T

London: Printed by B. Millan

The characteristics of the Harleian binding, so-called after Robert Harley, earl of Oxford, was a large central lozenge-shaped ornament, built up of a symmetrically arranged pattern of small tools, framed by a wide border. This edition of John Taylor’s Verses is a restrained ‘Harley’ - without the lozenge ornament. Here a late 18th century binder has economized, using a multi-coloured and quite striking calf to great effect. This book also has gauffered fore-edge, blue-marbled endpapers, and extensively tooled turn-ins. Note the somewhat careless use of a roll, where the neo-classical designs and leaves overlap each other in the corners of the front cover.