Coronation of Edward vii & Queen Alexandra, 1902. All edges pale yellow. 28 full page line illustrations reduced from designs by Charles Bell Birch (cf. Bondy, p. 111), 22 in O.T., 6 in N.T. 36 x 49 mm. Rebound , possibly by L.G. Challenger or T.F. Ford, in full black crushed niger morocco; spine in compartments with horizontal gilt ruled lines and three raised bands; covers with single blind ruled borders. Presented with attractive matching morocco slipcase. Some rubbing to gilt tooling. The first of two "Coronation Bibles" issued by Bryce. "The 1901 Bible can also be encountered in dark purple cloth with a metal medallion carrying the photographs of King Edward VII and Queen Alexandra glued to the center of the front cover. This latter version was marketed to celebrate the coronation of the royal couple in 1902"- Body. Thomas Francis Ford (1891-1971), Fellow of Royal Institute of British Architects, and Ashpitel Prize winner for outstanding architectural achievement (1919), was a successful Soaneian Classic architect of commercial, cinema, educational, and ecclesiastical buildings. Ford's passion was for bookbinding. L. G. Challenger – book dealer and amateur bookbinder, whose 1960's miniature book bindings are a niche collecting field, and becoming increasingly hard to find; they all have a naïve charm.
Bondy, 109. Spielmann, 25. Welsh, 562. OCLC, 256915063. WorldCat locates 7 copies worldwide.