Late 19th Century Illustrated Book,The Casquet of Gems: Choice Selections From the Poets

Description

Title: The Casquet of Gems: Choice Selections from the Poets.
Author: Anthology.
Publisher: William P. Nimmo & Co.
Place: Edinburgh. … more Title: The Casquet of Gems: Choice Selections from the Poets.
Author: Anthology.
Publisher: William P. Nimmo & Co.
Place: Edinburgh.
Publication date: No date (circa 1870).

Description: 717 p. 12mo. 3/4 red calf hardcover, 5 raised bands on gilt decorated spine cover with brown title label, covers with leather end caps and gilt borders, full gilt leaf edges, marble endpapers, tissue guarded frontispiece, text margins framed with red borders and illustrated with full page engravings.

Measures: 1.25 W x 5.5 D x 7.25 H inches.

About the works: The anthology includes works by numerous poets. The contents subtitles: Sacred - Earlier poets from Chaucer to Cowper, Sacred - From Cowper to the Present Time. Didactic and Moral. Descriptive - The Works of Nature, Beauties and Enjoyments of the Country, Scenery. Pastoral. The Seasons and Months - Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, The Months, Morning, Noon, Twilight, Evening, Night. Natural Phenomena. Characters. Natural History - Flowers, Trees, and Shrubs. Animals - Birds, Insects, Beasts and Fish. Epic, Narrative and Pathetic. Elegiac. Lyric - Odes. Ballads, Songs and Other Lyrics - Ballads, Songs and Lyrics. The Social and Domestic Affections. Love of Home and Country. Sonnets. Genius.

Provenance: "The White House" (TWH) retail label adhered to the rear endpapers offers a historical reference. TWH was the first department store in San Francisco; it opened in 1854 and closed in 1965, located at Post and Grant. In the 19th century, most bookshop sales in the US took place in departments of major department stores like TWH. Wholly plausible the book was acquired by the previous owner in the late 19th century while on a pleasure trip downtown SF which meant dressing up--hats, gloves and stockings required. TWH was a place to be seen, like its competitor The City of Paris, and was known for its French atmosphere. Raphael Weill, one of SF's merchant princes, built a grand store for a booming city with an eager clientele. The purveyor defined good taste and satisfied desires for anything French. Certainly paints a colorful picture of the TWH shopping experience when this fine book was acquired at TWH's book department located on the main selling floor of the grand store. less