[Inscribed] The Alhambra

Philadelphia: David McKay, 1894. Hardcover. Cloth. Very Good/NA. The inscription is from Henry Morton Stanley, the African explorer, and his wife to J. Hollister Lynch and his wife, as a Christmas present in 1894. We believe the handwriting is Stanley's, not his wife's, because of the characteristic and idiosyncratic horizontal cross line for the"t" coming completely after the vertical line. However, one can find other letters not identical to known specimens of Stanley's handwriting, but a closer look at several such specimens also should make it apparent that Stanley's handwriting was not unchanging -- few people's is -- and probably varied more than the average. J. Hollister Lynch, we are of the belief, was an Episcopal clergyman, but we can't be sure of that, nor can we know what the nature of the relationship, presumably a friendship, was between the Stanleys and the Lynches. The book itself is a lovely, although far from rare or particularly special, edition of Irving's work of appreciation, which truly ignited interest in the Moorish palace and was critical in making it the premier tourist destination it is today. 8vo. 21 by 14.5 cm. 383 pp. With 17 photo plates, all b/w on a glossy paper, with captioned tissue guards of of translucent wax paper, the captions in a red print. Cloth binding with light film of soiling. The decoration, in homage of the palace's aesthetic, though, comes through brightly, with gilt and blues still vivid and vibrant. Some looseness to the front hinge. Some foxing in prelims, with the outline of a dampstain up to the frontis illustration. Otherwise, very occasional light staining or foxing -- almost all leaves are clean. The fore-edge has some fox marks as well. (Inventory #: 008143)