The Seasons

London: Printed for A. Hamilton, 1793. First thus. Near Fine. Handsomely bound by Zaehnsdorf in a modernist style, likely for exhibition (with their circlular stamp on the rear silk paste-down). Bound in full dark green crushed morocco. Concentric rules build to a central panel on the front and rear boards, similar, but smaller patterns in the spine panels. All edges gilt, ruled inner dentelles, dark green silk end papers. Spine a bit toned and bookplates of Charles Hervery Hoare and David M. Kirkby. A few bookseller notations to the early blanks. Clean and fresh throughout with only a few spots of foxing. Quarto (leaves 229 x 158), collating: [2, frontis and engraved title], xxiv, 227, [1 blank], [xix, Notes], complete with engraved frontis, title, four plates (one for each season) and eight additional vignette head and tailpiece illustrations within the text.

Scottish poet James Thomson's The Seasons is a four-part pastoral poem, inspired by Milton's narrative blank verse, consisting of Winter (1726), Summer (1727), Spring (1728) and Autumn (1730). This edition brings all four together with a brief biography of the author. The poem would inspire painters and musicians, including Gainsborough and Bach, and would be translated into French and German; it was also at the center of in two legal disputes over publication copyrights.

The Austro-Hungarian -born, Joseph Zaehnsdorf (1816-1886) trained with binders in Stuttgart and in Vienna, before moving to Germany, Switzerland, France, and eventually settling London. He working for various shops before opening his own bindery in 1842. In the face of industrializing production Zaehnsdorf embraced craft and eventually gained recognition for his talent. He was known for his precise finish and elegant design. The firm would continue in his son John William's capable hands; it employed binders like Louis Genth, Roger de Coverly, and Sarah Prideaux. Family run until 1947, it was eventually acquired by Asprey of London in 1983 (Gertz). Near Fine.