A unique morocco binding for the Thomas Harrison Memorial Fund competition 1957

Santilla del Mar y Altamira by De La Reguera

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

Early printing. Hardback, rebound in full light brown morocco with green / black inlays, gilt tooling, top edge gilt. Patterned endpaper. Housed in a custom made box. 24 × 17cm, 150pp, fold out plan to rear. Text in Spanish and later parts in English.

This copy was exhibited in 1957 at the inaugural bookbinding competition held by the Thomas Harrison Memorial Fund. The book has an accompanying booklet from the Craft Bookbindings exhibition and competition which states this binding was created by J Wilson of Southampton College of Art. Thomas Harrison (1877–1955, the bookbinders' bookbinder) was a partner in the bindery of Henry T Wood and Sons, which merged with Sangorski & Sutcliffe in 1939.

The book is a description of Santillana del Mar, a town in the Cantabria region of northern Spain, known for its medieval and Renaissance architecture and the nearby prehistoric Cave of Altamira. Illustrated with photographs.

Condition

This copy is in good plus condition. There is some surface mottling to the morocco binding visible when held up to the light. There is a dark stain to the top edge but the head of the spine. The main body of text is in good order, with some light spotted foxing. The case is a little frayed but in good order, the booklet a little tanned and creased to the top where it has rested in the box.