Tiger Lilies (Hand-drawn plates in a Fine Binding)

Thomas Bailey Aldrich; Martha Wiswall Van Antwerp (Mrs. John H. Van Antwerp of Albany, NY)

Handcrafted, 1870

[A unique, lovely, hand-painted book in a fine binding.]  28.5 x 25 cm. [No date, circa 1870-1880.]  Bound in fine contemporary red morocco, with gilt lettering and decoration.  Boards are heavily gilt ruled, with extra-gilt dentelle.   Marbled end sheets.  All edges gilt.  Manuscript, calligraphic text of Aldrich's poem with hand-painted illustrations.   "Painted by Mrs. John H. Van Antwerp, Albany New York."   Calligraphic title and 25 botanical plates (many with the names of the flowers on the verso in Martha's hand), with tissue guards.  Many of the plates also include lovely images of butterflies, moths, or various insects.  Drawn on Reynolds' Bristol Board. The artist has matched the variety of flower with Aldrich's verse. (The artist, Martha Wiswall Van Antwerp died August 30, 1880, and drew this work on Reynolds' Bristolboard; and thus this work must have been created some time in the 1870s. Van Antwerp has signed the book in calligraphic initials on the title page and a small bookplate in the rear assigns this work to her.)  

  Text of Aldrich's poem: "I like not lady-slippers, Nor yet the sweet-pea blossoms, Nor yet the flaky roses, Red, or white as snow; I like the chaliced lilies, The heavy Eastern lilies, The gorgeous tiger-lilies, That in our garden grow." This volume was bound by Martha Van Antwerp's brother-in-law, Daniel Lewis Van Antwerp [1828-1910], who began binding in Albany under his name in 1852, having previously worked for Anthony L. Harrison, whose business he assumed. [Binding Provenance provided to us by Mr. Steve Beare]