Romeo and Juliet: With an introduction by Richard Henry Stoddard and illustrations by Jacques Wagrez and Louis Titz.

New York: Duprat & Co., 1892. 8vo, original crushed burgundy morocco, raised bands with six gold-tooled compartments, title in gold at spine, gold-tooled covers, t.e.g., brown morocco doublures, purple moire free front and rear endpapers, additional marbled endpapers. lllustrated half-title, 2nd half-title with colophon on verso, illustrated title leaf (title printed in red, blue & black), 2 frontispiece etchings (proof and final version), [I]-XII, [1]-170, [1], [two blank], [1] pp., 20 b&w plates (etchings by L. Muller after Jacques Wagrez and photogravures after Louis Titz, several etchings in both proof and final versions) tissue guards, additional inset etchings, original paper spine bound in; with original full green morocco slip- case with brown leather and marbled paper liner. Binding signed “Lahey” at foot of rear doublure. Owner’s name stamped on slip case liner, reading “Sara M. Reeder.”.

A fine limited edition in a handsome binding by Marguerite Duprez Lahey. No. 21 of 50 copies on Japan paper, out of a total edition of 350 (another 300 copies were printed on Holland paper). Marguerite Duprez Lahey (1880-1958) was born in Brooklyn, New York to an affluent family. She initially began bookbinding as a hobby, apprenticed with several French bookbinders, and in 1908 was hired by the Morgan Library, where she worked for fifty years. She created many beautiful bindings for books of hours and other manuscripts at the Morgan, as well as printed books.

REFERENCES: Haqqi, Saira. Marguerite Duprez Lahey: "The World’s Best Bookbinder" (blog post at www.themorgan.org).

CONDITION: Very good, touch of rubbing to corners at bottom edge of spine and at edges of spine, two losses to leather at inside front cover hinge, measuring 3 cm and .5 cm respectively; slip-case rubbed and scratched, spine browned.