Poems, Chiefly in the Scottish Dialect - Facsimile (From Photogravure Blocks) of the Kilmarnock edition 1786 -
Robert Burns
1909 - D Brown & Co. [Printer], Kilmarnock - Facsimile of the 1786 edition
An exquisite and fine presentation of Burns’ ‘Poems’, bound in light brown crushed morocco with brown and tan morocco onlays depicting a harvest mouse in a wheat field (the ‘tim'rous beastie' of ‘To a Mouse’) and housed in matching light tan morocco clamshell case, lined in tartan. Bound by Falkirk Fraser Wilson while working for Tom Valentine (a noted Falkirk binder).
The binding houses the 1909 facsimile of the rare and celebrated "Kilmarnock Burns" of 1786, which was printed from photogravure blocks under the supervision of D. McNaught, Esq. J.P., editor of The Burns Chronicle, the proofs being revised from an uncut copy in his possession.
In 1786 at the age of 27, although he had never published anything before, Burns (1759-96) decided to publish a volume of his poems. 612 copies were printed for him by John Wilson of Kilmarnock. They sold out within a month. There are estimated to be less than 70 complete ‘Kilmarnock’ copies in existence today. For this reason D. McNaught used his own uncut copy to produce this facsimile in 1909.
Burns, encouraged by this success, and by a letter from an Edinburgh minister, Dr. Blacklock, moved to Edinburgh instead of emigrating to Jamaica. He became a celebrity and in 1787 a new edition of 1500 copies, to be sold by subscription, was agreed upon with an additional 17 poems and five new songs. There was far greater demand than estimated, so the book was reset, and approximately 3,250 copies printed. Tom Valentine Ltd. - Book Binding and Conservation, based in Larbert, Falkirk, Scotland. Also ran “ the sometime Carronvale Bindery of Falkirk”
In Scotland, Dunn & Wilson (from the 1980s Riley, Dunn & Wilson) of Falkirk, were the other large trade bookbinders and when they reduced their fine binding department, Tom Valentine, their head binder, set up his own very prestigious bindery in Larbert.
Large octavo (binding size 23.3x15.6cm), pp. [2] viii 240 [2]. In a competition binding of full light brown crushed morocco, spine with burnished raised bands and tan morocco label lettered in gilt, upper boards with brown and tan morocco onlays depicting a harvest mouse in a gilt wheat field, top edge gilt, others untrimmed, inner dentelles in blind. Condition: Fine in fine binding and fine case. Ref: 112517 Price: HK$ 30,000
The binding houses the 1909 facsimile of the rare and celebrated "Kilmarnock Burns" of 1786, which was printed from photogravure blocks under the supervision of D. McNaught, Esq. J.P., editor of The Burns Chronicle, the proofs being revised from an uncut copy in his possession.
In 1786 at the age of 27, although he had never published anything before, Burns (1759-96) decided to publish a volume of his poems. 612 copies were printed for him by John Wilson of Kilmarnock. They sold out within a month. There are estimated to be less than 70 complete ‘Kilmarnock’ copies in existence today. For this reason D. McNaught used his own uncut copy to produce this facsimile in 1909.
Burns, encouraged by this success, and by a letter from an Edinburgh minister, Dr. Blacklock, moved to Edinburgh instead of emigrating to Jamaica. He became a celebrity and in 1787 a new edition of 1500 copies, to be sold by subscription, was agreed upon with an additional 17 poems and five new songs. There was far greater demand than estimated, so the book was reset, and approximately 3,250 copies printed. Tom Valentine Ltd. - Book Binding and Conservation, based in Larbert, Falkirk, Scotland. Also ran “ the sometime Carronvale Bindery of Falkirk”
In Scotland, Dunn & Wilson (from the 1980s Riley, Dunn & Wilson) of Falkirk, were the other large trade bookbinders and when they reduced their fine binding department, Tom Valentine, their head binder, set up his own very prestigious bindery in Larbert.
Large octavo (binding size 23.3x15.6cm), pp. [2] viii 240 [2]. In a competition binding of full light brown crushed morocco, spine with burnished raised bands and tan morocco label lettered in gilt, upper boards with brown and tan morocco onlays depicting a harvest mouse in a gilt wheat field, top edge gilt, others untrimmed, inner dentelles in blind. Condition: Fine in fine binding and fine case. Ref: 112517 Price: HK$ 30,000