Sephardic Rite Prayer Book, published in Vienna

The prayer book was evidently rebound in 1869, when the name of the owner and a number of blank leaves were added, on two of which an elaborate dedication was written by the bookbinder, dated 28 of August 1869.

Anton Schmid was a Christian publisher of Hebrew books, who benefited greatly from the 1800 ordinance prohibiting the import of Hebrew books by Jews (who were themselves excluded from the publishing business). He employed a number of Jewish typesetters and proof readers, mainly from Galicia, who were granted special residence permits in Vienna.

Second edition; 8vo; later embossed and gilt cloth in purplish-brown, with green textured endpapers and original owner's name and Hebrew year stamped in gilt to front and the year 1869 stamped to back, edges gilt, housed in a contemporary slipcase, covered in marbled-green paper (case rubbed, with crack to one of the back joints); dedication from the bookbinder in old brown ink to two of the front endpapers; text in Hebrew with some Ladino; 248 ii pp.