BINDINGS OF TO-MORROW. A Record of the Work of the Guild of Women-Binders and of the Hamstead Bindery.

First edition, first printing. The Dedication Copy. Limited edition. Presentation art nouveau binding of full navy morocco inlaid with flowers and foliage in brown, green and orange, highlighted and decorated in gilt. Elaborate gilt decorated vellum doublures, vellum endpapers with gilt corner pieces, the gilt stamp of the 'Guild of Women-Binders' to the lower edge of the front endpaper. Rear doublure with the gilt initials 'M.E.S'. All edges gilt. Illustrated with 50 facsimiles of bindings in the Art Nouveau and Art Deco style. The binding is in very good condition, square and firm with some rubbing to the spine tips, hinges and corners. The contents, with some offsetting from the photographic plates, are otherwise in fine, clean and bright condition throughout. Housed in a soft cloth chemise. An exquisite example.

Issued in a limited edition of 500 copies, this example is inscribed in black ink "The Dedication Copy" on the limitation page. The printed dedication reads "Dedicated / by Special Permission / to Her Royal Highness / The Princess of Wales". The dedicatee and recipient of this volume was Mary of Teck, Princess of Wales, who became Queen Consort to George V upon her husband's accession in 1910. The Guild of Women-Binders, founded in 1898 by Frank Karslake, promoted the work of women bookbinders and provided training to women wishing to learn the craft. A bookseller himself, Karslake was also the founder and financial backer of the Hampstead Bindery, and he printed this volume at his own expense in order to advertise the work of the women in the Guild. In many ways ahead of its time, at the Guild women received instruction in hand-bookbinding, and were offered employment after the completion of their training. Guild binders set a standard of merit and produced some of the most detailed work of the time. The guild not only extended the work of women into a field that allowed them to make a living wage, but also encouraged women to express themselves artistically. Ultimately, the Guild was not a successful business venture. Karslake attempted to expand the organisation too quickly, taking on more students than the teaching staff could adequately support and placing excessive demands on his instructors. The Guild was shuttered in 1904, leaving Karslake bankrupt and many of the women who had worked with him affected by the controversy of its collapse.