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NIGHT THOUGHTS
A previously unknown copy of the colored Night Thoughts engravings has been discovered.*↤ (Our thanks to E. J. Rose of the University of Alberta for this item. Eds.) The copy will be included in a new census of the colored copies in the complete Clarendon Press edition of William Blake’s Designs for Young’s Night Thoughts, edited by John Grant, E. J. Rose, and Michael Tolley in association with David Erdman, with the first two volumes scheduled for publication in 1974. The newly discovered copy of the colored engravings was first brought to the attention of the editors by Robert N. Essick. A description follows:
Bound in crimson crushed Levant morocco, the covers gilt tooled with a quadruple line centre panel at the corners of which are inlaid a flower ornament of three blossoms in white vellum on a scrolled background of closely spaced gilt dots with a surround of birds in flight, panels of the spine inlaid with blue morocco tooled with flying birds on dotted background. Marbled end papers. Uncut. Pages mended. Bound by the Hampstead Bindery (Gild of Women Binders). Explanation of the Engravings, reduced and inlaid, between the Advertisement and the title page of Night the First. Eleven pages watermarked. Title page measures 16.4 in. (41.8 cm.) × 12.5 in. (31.7 cm.).
This copy lacks the engraved design for p. 24 [45E]. The text, however, is present.
Acquired by Lionel Phillips, a South African collector. He added his book-plate, dated 1905, inside front cover.
Offered for sale August 1972 by Charles J. Sawyer, bookseller, of London, for £2500.
Acquired by University of Alberta Library, February 1973. In Special Collections Room. f NC 1115 B6N6 1797.