Automata Old and New.

Cooke, Conrad William

Published by The Chiswick Press, London, 1893

Signed limited privately printed opuscula edition of Cooke's discussion on automation and mechanics, delivered at a Meeting of the Sette held at Limmer's Hotel on November 6th, 1891. Duodecimo, finely bound in full polished calf by Zaehnsdorf with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, gilt ruling and botanical gilt scrolling to the front and rear panels, gilt central emblem of Ye Sette of Odd Volumes to both panels, gilt turn-ins and inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, tissue-guarded frontispiece, illustrated with engravings. Original wrappers bound in. One of 255 numbered copies signed by the author on the presentation colophon, this is number 20, presented to English parodist Walter Hamilton on March 3rd, 1893. In fine condition. A very attractive example of this rarity. Ye Sette of Odd Volumes was a London-based bibliophilic club founded in 1878 by bookseller Bernard Quaritch, bringing together a diverse membership united by an interest in books and book culture. Its members included literary figures, artists, scientists, politicians, businessmen, and self-styled eccentrics, reflecting a deliberately eclectic approach to book collecting and appreciation rather than a narrow scholarly focus. The club functioned as a social and intellectual space in which collecting, conversation, and performance of learned eccentricity were closely intertwined. Although the original Sette disbanded in 1939 on the eve of the Second World War, it was reconstituted in 1950 with a new membership. Seller Inventory # 150672

Bibliographic Details

Title: Automata Old and New.
Publisher: The Chiswick Press, London
Publication Date: 1893
Binding: Soft cover
Signed: Signed by Author(s)
Edition: 1st Edition