Chaucer, Geoffrey--Macdonald, Annie, binder.

folio, limited to 438 copies of which this is one of 425 on paper, printed in red and black, 87 wood-engraved illustrations by Edward Burne-Jones, ornamental woodcut title, borders and initials, contemporary modelled natural goatskin, by Annie S. MacDonald, signed on lower cover "Binder A.S.M. | J.W.P. | 1899", upper cover with large inset relief panel depicting images after the Burne-Jones wood-engravings and the floral and foliate scrolled woodcut borders, relief lettering to upper cover and spine, rough edges gilt, morocco darkened, especially at spine, inside edges offset onto endleaves                                                                                                                             

Marianne Tidcombe The Guild of Women Binders pl. 17, pp. 97-99. 

This superb binding designed and modelled by Annie S. MacDonald of the Guild of Women's Binders was executed for John William Pease in 1899.

 It was in the early 1890s that Annie MacDonald and a few others wished to try their hand at bookbinding. They had no formal teacher but Walter B. Blaikie of the publishers A. & J. Constable let them use his workshops after hours where they learnt from his foreman. From 1895 two of Constable's workmen, a finisher and a forwarder, taught the group of women. Annie MacDonald invented the technique of modelling the leather and taught this herself to others who were interested. Initially the group was known as the Edinburgh Arts and Crafts Club. She later inspired Frank Karslake to start the Guild of Women Binders as an outlet for women binders who lived outside London.

Annie MacDonald's process of modelling the goatskin involved neither cutting nor raising the leather to relief. The modelling was done after the book itself was covered in the goatskin. She tried various types of leather but found that the natural goatskin, before any curing processes, could be moulded as she desired. Using glue rather than paste to cover the books, the leather was a pale ivory when completed which developed into a richer brown once aged. She would trace the design onto the dampened leather and work with one small tool called a 'Dresden', carefully pressing the background and moulding the relief design. Anne MacDonald produced over fifty such designs including a few copies of the Kelmscott Chaucer.