Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám : illustrated by E A Cox : F Lewis, Leigh on Sea, Essex, UK, 1944

A charming and unusual wartime edition of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám issued by F Lewis in Essex, England, published in 1944 in a limited edition. It was printed by W S Cowell, the well known printers of Ipswich, on hand made paper. I suspect this must have been quite an achievement given wartime shortages of supplies, paper and inks. The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám is a loose translation by Edward FitzGerald made in 1859 from Persian to English of a selection of quatrains (rubāʿiyāt) attributed to Omar Khayyam (1048–1131), dubbed "the Astronomer-Poet of Persia". This edition is illustrated by the artist Elijah Albert Cox (1876 – 1955) who had trained with Brangwyn. He was commissioned by, amongst others, London Transport for whom he produced posters.

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