Library Company of Philadelphia
The Holy Bible (Philadelphia, 1844). Michael Zinman Binding Collection.
This elegant Bible was a gift to Mary Ashhurst from the husband of her friend. It was to thank her for “…the kindness shown by you to my wife during her sufferings last summer….” The binding has several lovely features: velvet covers with brass edges, gleaming gold-leaf edges, velvet and pink embossed endpapers, and a clasp with Mrs. Ashhurst’s name engraved on it.
This book is on display as part of our current exhibition, The Living Book : New Perspectives on Form and Function, on display through January 5, 2018.
Sometimes books want to go out in a fancy sweater.
According to the bookplate, Mary
Sandwith (1732-1815) was given this Bible by her grandfather in 1736, when she
was a small child. She likely made the needlepoint woolen cover in the Bargello
style, or flame stitch, when she was around eleven years old. The spine has the
words “Mary Sandwith her BIBLE 1743” embroidered to look like a book label.