Publisher's Binding- Art Nouveau

Sarah Wyman Whitman

Dark green decorative cloth binding design of iris flowing in pale green and rich purple outlined in gilt within an enclosed overlay of gilt circles. Spine has distinctive gilt rules. Unsigned binding design by Sarah Wyman Whitman.

American Decorated Publisher's Bindings 1872-1929. Collected and Described by Richard Minsky

Volume 3 "Her integration of Arts and Crafts with Art Nouveau continued, seen here in the 1899 cover for the Tiverton Tales. Thanks to Sue Allen for discovering via correspondence that SWW based the central motif for this on a design by Margaret La Farge, the unmarried daughter of her mentor, artist John La Farge. John La Farge played an important role as inspiration to American book cover designers. A leader in the integration of fine and decorative arts, as well as being a book illustrator, he knew and taught several of the younger cover artists, including Alice C. Morse and Margaret Armstrong, as well as Sarah Whitman."