Edward Fitzgerald’s 1859 translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, attributed to an 11th century Persian mathematician, became popular among Victorians, leading to later luxury editions such as this one published in 1910 (above). Decorated by Sangorski & Sutcliffe on handmade paper, it is one of 550 copies produced and is now offered by Jonkers Rare Books for £2500.
It is included in the bookseller’s first interactive online catalogue focusing on English poetry. Presented online in page-turning format, users can scroll through multiple images of each book and find out more or buy through buttons under each item. There are also recordings of poets reading their work.
“For a while we’ve been thinking about how we could present our catalogues better digitally and with a bit more time over the past few weeks we were able to focus on it,” says the dealership’s Tom Ayling. “We have tried to make it as seamless and intuitive as possible and it seems to have gone down well.”
