Kew Gardens [Design Binding]

London: Hogarth Press, 1927. Third Edition/First Thus. Hardcover. Near Fine in Fine Drop-Spine Archival Box. Third Edition/First Thus. Hardcover. Binding is housed in a clamshell box covered in sky blue buffalo skin and light blue Stonehenge paper. Leather spine embroidered with author's name in pale pink cotton floss. Trays covered in pale yellow handmade paper and lined with light grey Novasuede.
Exquisitely bound in a manner and style reflecting Vanessa Bell's illustrations.

First fully illustrated edition, hand-numbered by Virginia Woolf, this being number 48 of 500.
This was a collaboration between author and artist which was deeply important to Woolf, who saw it as a means of "binding herself to her sister" (Willis, p31). "Bell's designs for this edition occur on every page of text, acting as borders, punctuation, bridges, or disruptions into the type-set text. In contrast, the first and second editions of 1919 only had a frontispiece and finispiece by Bell, and she was not satisfied with them." This title was Virginia Woolf's third published book and one of her early shorter fictions, which "were less stories than theoretical expositions of the new form of fiction that she had come upon" (ODNB). Heavy paper leaves show a touch of age toning, else tight, bright, and unmarred. French-style fine binding with laced-in boards, bound in sky blue buffalo skin with back-pared onlays in handmade papers in two shades of blue, chartreuse, two shades of orange, natural, deep purple and mauve plus pale pink buffalo skin, pale yellow calfskin and hand-dyed goatskin, onlays are embellished with cotton embroidery floss, leather wrapped endbands in ochre with bands of pink, blush and pale pink threads; text sewn on stubs of lilac paper, marbled island paste down with onlays in mocha brown handmade paper and hand-dyed goatskin, sky blue buffalo skin hinges, handmade paper flyleaves and endpapers in two shades of yellow. 4to. np. Illus. (b/w plates). Numbered limited edition, this being 48 of 500.