An attractive late Victorian/early Edwardian edition of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's masterpiece, *Faust: A Tragedy*, published in New York by Hurst & Company. This volume is presented in a highly decorative publisher's cloth binding featuring three vertical columns of pink and purple morning glories and a central gilt medallion depicting a classical lyre. The text includes both Part I (edited by F. H. Hedge, with Anna Swanwick's metrical version and A. Hayward's prose translation) and Part II (translated by Swanwick), with each page framed by elegant red rules.

**Please note some pages have been torn out and torn into large pieces, they are tucked into back of book**

Historical & Style Details

• Title: Faust: A Tragedy
• Author: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Editor / Translator: Edited by F. H. Hedge, D.D.; translated by Anna Swanwick and A. Hayward
• Publisher: Hurst & Company, New York (135 Grand St. / 395 Lafayette St.)
• Period: Art Nouveau (circa 1895–1905)
• Origin: United States
• Material / Technique: Letterpress printing with red-ruled borders, publisher's decorative stamped cloth
• Materials: Bookcloth, paper, gold leaf
• Decorative Details: Light grey-green cloth cover stamped with three vertical bands of pink and purple morning glories; central gilt medallion with a classical lyre; spine decorated en suite with gilt title block; all edges gilt.

History

Publisher's decorative cloth bindings flourished in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as advances in bookbinding technology allowed publishers like Hurst & Company to offer classic literature in highly ornamental, affordable editions. The stylized morning glory motif and classical lyre on this cover reflect the popular Art Nouveau and Aesthetic Movement influences of the period, designed to appeal to middle-class collectors building home libraries.