{"product_id":"1903-roll-call-westminster-abbey-tree-calf","title":"1903 The Roll-Call of Westminster Abbey Tree Calf Binding","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"flex max-w-full flex-col flex-grow\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv data-message-author-role=\"assistant\" data-message-id=\"d54d18e7-cf56-4889-810b-3d2e012bdb5a\" dir=\"auto\" class=\"min-h-8 text-message flex w-full flex-col items-end gap-2 whitespace-normal break-words text-start [.text-message+\u0026amp;]:mt-5\" data-message-model-slug=\"gpt-4o\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"flex w-full flex-col gap-1 empty:hidden first:pt-[3px]\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light\"\u003e\n\u003cp data-end=\"709\" data-start=\"0\"\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003ePublished in 1903 by Smith, Elder \u0026amp; Co., \u003cem data-end=\"195\" data-start=\"159\"\u003eThe Roll-Call of Westminster Abbey\u003c\/em\u003e by Mrs. A. Murray Smith is a richly detailed guide to the individuals commemorated within one of Britain's most iconic sacred spaces. This third edition includes illustrations and plans, and was written during a time of revived national interest in preserving and understanding British heritage. The book serves as a historical and biographical register of monarchs, poets, statesmen, and other notable figures buried or memorialized within the Abbey, complete with contributions by G.F. Bradley. What makes this particular copy especially notable is its striking full tree calf leather binding—a highly decorative style popular in the 18th and 19th centuries—featuring delicate gilt tooling, raised bands on the spine, and marbled endpapers and page edges. The front board is stamped in gold with the inscription “Rathgowry 1904,” adding a personalized and possibly commemorative touch. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eWestminster Abbey is not a building that submits easily to description. It is too layered, too accumulated, too much a vessel for the entire sweep of English history from the Confessor forward. Mrs. A. Murray Smith understood this, and her Roll-Call approaches the Abbey not as architecture but as biography, working through the figures buried or commemorated within and letting the place reveal itself through its dead. G. F. Bradley's contributions add scholarly weight to what is already a richly informed text, and the plans throughout give the reader a sense of the physical space that pure narrative cannot.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eSmith, Elder and Co. were a house with serious literary credentials, and this third edition of 1903 reflects a book that had already found its audience. The full tree calf binding is a commitment, the kind of binding that says the owner regarded this as a permanent addition to a permanent library. The raised bands, gilt tooling, and marbled endpapers and page edges are all executed with the confidence of Victorian and Edwardian fine binding at its best, and the gilt inscription on the front board, Rathgowry 1904, is a provenance detail that rewards curiosity. Rathgowry is a place name with Irish and Scottish associations, and the thought of this volume sitting in a country house library in the early years of the last century, consulted by someone with a serious interest in English ecclesiastical history, gives it a particular atmosphere.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal leading-[1.7]\"\u003eThis is a book for someone who wants a genuinely beautiful object that also happens to be a serious piece of historical writing. The condition issue noted below is real and should be considered, but for the right collector it will not diminish the appeal of what is otherwise a distinguished copy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-pre-wrap leading-[1.7]\"\u003e[d]Author | Mrs. A. Murray Smith, with contributions by G. F. Bradley [d]Title | The Roll-Call of Westminster Abbey [d]Publisher | Smith, Elder and Co. [d]Date | 1903 [d]Edition | Third edition [d]Binding | Full tree calf leather [d]Features | Raised bands, gilt tooling, marbled endpapers, marbled page edges, gilt inscription on front board reading \"Rathgowry 1904,\" illustrated with plans [d]Dimensions | 7.75 in H x 5.5 in W x 1.5 in D [d]Subject | Westminster Abbey, British history, ecclesiastical history, fine binding [d]Language | English\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-pre-wrap leading-[1.7]\"\u003e[condition] The back board has completely detached from the binding. This is a significant structural issue and should be weighed carefully by prospective buyers. The front hinge shows slight loosening, and the joints, head, and tail of the spine exhibit rubbing and cracking consistent with age. The leather and gilt tooling on the spine and front board remain attractive, and the marbled endpapers and page edges are intact. Internally the pages show only light toning and are otherwise clean and legible. The illustrated plans are present and complete. A skilled bookbinder could reattach the back board, and the volume retains strong shelf presence and genuine historical interest despite the condition issue.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Austyn Marie","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49968827466006,"sku":"AMD-0286","price":195.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0896\/4623\/5926\/files\/DSA07272.jpg?v=1757963839","url":"https:\/\/austynmariedesign.com\/products\/1903-roll-call-westminster-abbey-tree-calf","provider":"Austyn Marie Design","version":"1.0","type":"link"}