BASKERVILLE, John - BIBLE; English; Authorized version.

Inquire · Offered by Peter Harrington

The Holy Bible, First Baskerville edition: a spectacular copy of one of the greatest English Bibles and a crowning achievement of English printing, in a magnificent Staggemeier and Welcher binding, and abundantly extra-illustrated with 287 Old Master engravings. The copy adorned two of the greatest book collections of the last two centuries: the library of the Dukes of Marlborough at Blenheim Palace, and of Estelle Doheny in California.Friedrich Leberecht Staggemeier (1759-1827) was esteemed for his elaborately decorated neoclassical bindings. He partnered with Samuel Welcher from 1799 to 1810, and the pair catered to the highest echelons of the market. Extra-illustration was a distinguishing feature of this market: here, 171 of the illustrations are from Bernard Picart and Gerard Hoet's Figures de la Bible (The Hague, 1728), and 58 are from Pierre Mortier's Bible (Amsterdam and Antwerp, 1700), while others are from Jan Luyken's Icones Biblica Veteris et N. Testamenti (Amsterdam, 1729) and other sources.The extravagant binding and extra-illustration were commissioned by the first owner, the collector and scholar Jacob Bryant. In 1804, he bequeathed the Bible to his patron, George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough. It remained in the duke's collection at Blenheim Palace until 1881, when it passed to Fanny Octavia Louisa, daughter of the 7th duke. Her descendants sold the book, and it passed via Dawson's Book Shop to Estelle Doheny, one of the greatest collectors of the 20th cen

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