1905 E C Phillips Peeps into China Book
1905 E C Phillips Peeps into China Book
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A Boston Latin School prize binding from 1905, awarded to a third-form student named H. Holmes for punctuality on July 27th. The book itself is E. C. Phillips's Peeps into China, a Victorian children's travel narrative that follows a returned missionary telling his young niece about life in late Qing dynasty China. Cassell's "Sixteenth Thousand" printing, circa 1900, illustrated throughout with wood engravings of Peking street scenes, Chinese shops, barbers, and the heated brick kang beds of northern winters. The full tree calf binding is the real prize here, with that distinctive branching figure on the boards, six-compartment gilt-tooled spine, contrasting morocco label, and the gilt armorial of Boston Latin School with its three crowns and SCHOLA BOSTONIENSIS banner. Marbled endpapers and edges throughout. Documented provenance with a named recipient, date, and master's signature is uncommon in school prize bindings, and the combination of an elegant Edwardian binding, Boston Latin School association, and Chinese subject matter gives this one real reach.
The tree calf boards retain their warm color and dramatic branching figure, with the gilt armorial and decorative borders bright and fully legible. Front board shows a small surface scrape at the lower right and the expected light rubbing along the edges. The rear board is worn with age but structurally sound, in keeping with a 120-year-old prize binding. Spine is intact with all gilt tooling sharp, six compartments well-defined, and the morocco title label fully legible. Joints are firm. Light wear at the head and tail of the spine. Interior is clean throughout, text block tight, marbled edges crisp. The original Boston Latin School prize plate is firmly pasted to the front board interior, completed in period ink: "Presented to H. Holmes for Punctuality, July 27th, 1905," with the signature of the master visible though partially difficult to read. A handsome and well-documented prize binding.
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