Books

Robert Cadell. Edinburgh and Whittaker. London. 1831. 48 volumes.. All with engraved frontispiece and title with vignette. Half green morocco by HAYDAY, boards and end-papers marbled, all edges gilt, some slight scuffing to some of the spine ends, a very good set. *HAYDAY had long seen that it was desirable to make printed books open freely and lie flat; his attention is believed to have been drawn to this matter by seeing Bagster's polyglot bibles, which were bound by Joseph Welsh of 10 Queen Street, Golden Square, in what was known as 'Bagster's Renowned Binding.' These books were made flexible, and covered with purple pin-headed sealskin with a blind tool ornament. In his own binding he sewed the books all along every sheet, and to remedy the extra thickness that would be caused by sewing with thread, used silk, and to equalise the thickness rounded the fore edges more than was customary. To make the back tight he dispensed with the ordinary backing of paper, and fastened the…

The novel 'Waverley' by Walter Scott is regarded as the first historical novel in the English language, blending history with fiction to portray the Jacobite uprising of 1745.