Austen, Jane “Pride and Prejudice” [Gresham Publishing, c.1900] Illustrated Edition

AUSTEN, Jane. Pride and Prejudice.

London: The Gresham Publishing Co., [c. 1900]. Undated illustrated edition. 12mo, xxi + 392pp with six plates illustrated by Chris Hammond and an introduction by William Keith Leask. Publisher's original blue cloth with gilt titles to front board and spine, decorated in an Art Nouveau design by Talwin Morris incorporating stylized floral motifs in blue, green, and white. Title page printed in red and black. Spine face faded and edges rubbed. Moderate foxing to early and late pages, though textblock generally clean. Front hinge just starting along lower two inches. Very Good-.

An illustrated edition of Jane Austen's celebrated 1813 novel, featuring the work of British artist Chris Hammond (1860–1900), whose pen-and-ink illustrations appeared in several late Victorian editions of Austen's novels. The distinctive binding is attributed to Talwin Morris (1865–1911), the influential Scottish designer associated with the Glasgow Style and the development of Art Nouveau book decoration. Morris's designs for the Gresham Publishing Company are particularly recognizable for their flowing lines, stylized botanical forms, and restrained use of color.