1859 “Lyra Germanica” hymn book [English]

A small brown leather book with a big presence. The covers are blind-tooled (pressed, not gilded) with a pattern of stacked cubes that seems to shift as you tilt it, framed by ruled borders and little flower blocks in each corner. The spine has raised bands, carved-looking diamonds, and the title pressed right into the leather. The page edges are gilt, and the endpapers are a showstopper: wavy hand-marbled paper in crimson, gold, blue, and slate.

Inside is Lyra Germanica: Hymns for the Sundays and Chief Festivals of the Christian Year, German hymns translated into English by Catherine Winkworth, printed in London by Longman in 1859. Winkworth is the reason many classic German hymns are still sung in English churches today, and this book is where much of that work first appeared. It is dedicated to the Chevalier Bunsen, the Prussian ambassador to London. The pages are set in old-style type with the long "ſ," with decorative headpieces, a lyre on the title page, and fancy illustrated initials.

A lovely piece for a bookshelf, a nightstand, or anyone who loves hymns, history, or beautiful bindings.

Dimensions: 6 3/4" H x 4 1/2" W

Medium: Letterpress on paper in antique-style type; full brown pebble-grain leather, blind-tooled covers and spine with raised bands; gilt page edges; hand-marbled endpapers

Age: 1859

Origin: London, England — Longman, Green, Longman, and Roberts; hymns translated from German

Signature/mark: None visible

Disclosures: Sold as-is in antique condition, over 165 years old; binding is sound and hinges are tight; light rubbing to the leather along the front joint, spine, and edges; some light foxing and toning to the pages, as expected for its age (see photos)