Emerson (Ralph Waldo) The Essay on Friendship, number 27 of 50 special copies illuminated by hand and signed by the printer Elbert Hubbard and illuminator, printed in red and black, title and initials hand-coloured and with other watercolour decorations by Minnie Gardner, illuminations a little offset, light water-staining to lower inner margin (mainly to endpapers), front hinge split at title, handsome Art Nouveau dark burgundy morocco binding elaborately tooled in gilt, by Dudley & Hodge, covers with panel formed by border of interlacing five-petal flowers, buds and heart-shaped leaves in gilt, outer border with five-petal flower to each corner and rules to foot and halfway up sides ending in buds and heart-shaped leaves, spine in compartments with title, author and buds with leaves in gilt and five raised bands, crimson morocco doublures with turn-ins of gilt rules and flowers & leaves to corners, crimson silk moiré flyleaves, signed at foot of rear turn-in, t.e.g., others uncut, spine very slightly faded, small 4to (binding c.200 x 150mm.), East Aurora, NY, Roycrofters, 1899.

⁂ Dudley & Hodge were in-house binders for Copeland and Day of Boston who published books in the Arts & Crafts style following in the footsteps of English private presses, as did Elbert Hubbard at the Roycroft Press.