1599 Quarto Illustrated Geneva Bible

[The Bible, That is, the Holy Scriptures Conteined in the Old and New Testament. Translated according to the Ebrew and Greeke, and conferred with the best translation in divers Languages. With most profitable Annotations…]

Summary

The famous 1599 quarto Geneva Bible. Complete text in Roman font with the full set of Geneva illustrations and maps. A nicely rebacked copy of the version that traveled aboard the Mayflower to America.

Description

The Book of Common Prayer incomplete with only the Book of Psalms bound at the front. The engraved title page (1634) with woodcut border comprising twenty-four small compartments showing the tents of the twelve tribes as well as the figures of the twelve apostles. Title is enclosed within a heart-shaped frame. This later title page was supplied from a quarto King James Bible. Text in two column Roman font with wide margins throughout containing Tomson’s New Testament and Junius’ Revelation. Complete set of Geneva illustrations and maps. Title to the Second Part (n.d.) with decorated headpiece. Issued without Apocrypha. Similar New Testament woodcut title page (1599). Concludes with a dated colophon (1599).  Woodcut first chapter initials and decorated head- and tailpieces throughout. This copy was likely printed in the 1630s in Amsterdam.

Collation

A^8, A-Z^8, &^6 (first part: Gen-Job), Aa-Qq^8 (second part: Psalms- Malachi), Aaa-Qqq^8, Rrr^4 (New Testament). Complete.

Binding

Rebacked and recornered in dark brown mottled calf with original spine laid down. Contemporary covers laid down with panels and corner fleurons tooled in blind. Spine with five raised bands and word “Holy Bible” lettered in gilt on a red gilt-lined morocco label. Plain endpapers. All edges red.  

Condition

Trimmed with infrequent cropping to headlines; light stain to lower margin and upper gutter which fades away in New Testament; A1 (Gen 1) open tear to upper gutter with loss of a few words; D1 small piece torn to upper corner without loss; D6 small lower marginal loss; Q2 repaired closed tear without loss; Cc1 repaired tear with loss to marginal notes on recto; Rrr4 (final leaf) frayed to edges; infrequent spotting but a very nice copy overall.

Provenance

Early 19th century birth records of the Rogers family on front pastedown and endpaper. “Jane Harvey her book 1714” to lower margin of title page.

Note

The majority of Geneva Bibles dated 1599 were printed in Amsterdam after King James banned the printing of the Geneva Bible in 1616 to encourage the production of his sponsored translation. The Geneva Bible remained popular and began to be printed on the continent and imported into England. Archbishop Laud banned the importation of the Geneva Bible into England in the 1630s, forcing printers to add a falsely dated title page. The popularity of the Geneva Bible remained steadfast for over three generations, and the vast number of pirated Geneva Bibles available today serve as clear evidence that the King James Bible did not become the dominant text very quickly.

References

Herbert 253; ESTC 2179; Wilson’s No. 2.