Fine Leather Bound Books

London and Paris: Boussod, Valadon & Co. (GOUPIL), 1896. Full calf, 12 3/4 inches tall. A superb full calf binding by Henderson & Bisset with raised bands and 'regal' centre tools framed within a series of pallets to the panels. A series of gilt and blind fillets with the gilt 'regal' corner tools corner tool frame the rose and crown insignia of Elizabeth Regina. Gilt dentelles and top edge.. This is the best edition of this lavish work with the plates in 2 states in a limitation of 200 numbers and 100 lettered copies of which this is number 70. Colour frontispiece and many monochrome plates throughout. A bookplate has been removed and there is some superficial damage caused by a long defunct insect, overall a magnificent copy.

London: Methuen and Co., 1894. Half morocco, 7 1/2 inches tall. A delightful binding by Zaehnsdorf with elaborate gilt floral tooling around a crossed brace of pistols on a smooth back. Gilt top edge. With an impressive 'Arthurian' bookplate. Foxing to the text. A splendid copy of these great poems and songs based on the men of the British army during the reign of Queen Victoria, including such classics as 'Gunga Din' and 'Mandalay'.

London: Chapman & Hall, 1895. 17 volume set, 8 inches tall. A classic late Victorian half calf in remarkably sparkling, pristine condition with gilt raised bands, twin labels and elaborate gilt tooling to the panels. Embellished profusely with over 700 illustrations by, amongst others, Phiz and George Cruikshank. This edition is complete in 17 volumes and is most readable and manageable.

London: George Allen, 1893. 3 volume set, 7 1/2 inches tall. A neat Edwardian half calf with gilt pallets and top edges. Profusely illustrated throughout. Previous owners ink names on the paste down end papers and half title.

London: Sharpe and Son et al., 1819. 4 volume set, 9 inches tall. A beautiful Regency full red morocco by the great firm of White of Pall Mall with gilt raised bands, gilt pallets and simple centre tools. Double gilt fillets frame the boards. Gilt dentelled and all edges. Portraits in volume I and an engraved frontispiece in volume II, as called for. Very slight fading to the spines of volumes III & IV, but overall an exceptionally fine set.

London: T. Longman, B. Law et al., 1796. 2 volumes bound in 1, 11 1/4 inches tall. A magnificent large quarto in full 18th century speckled calf with raised bands, gilt pallets and a most attractive label. Some marks and scuffs to the binding but no loss or splitting. An exceptionally clean copy of Boyer's Royal French and English Dictionary.

London and Paris: Boussod, Valadon & Co. (GOUPIL), 1897. Full morocco, 13 inches tall. A luxurious full crushed morocco by Ramage with gilt raised bands and elegant gilt tooling to the panels and boards. Delightful gilt dentelles and top edge. Occasion very light foxing. With a colour frontispiece and monochrome plates and vignettes throughout. A lavish work on the Life of Queen Victoria at the height of her reign.

London: Longman, and Co. et al., 1847. 8 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A classic Victorian half calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and bold gilt tooling to the panels. There is foxing to, and facing, the engraved portrait in volume I, otherwise clean. A fine edition of the works of one of the greatest English poets of the 18th century with a new life of Pope by William Roscoe.

Paris: Garnier Frères, c.1900. 8 volume set, 9 inches tall. A striking set in half vellum with hand painted love birds and rosebuds framing the volume number. Vignettes throughout. A handsome set, in the original French, of possibly the most reliable and entertaining description of European social life during the 18th century.

London: Swan Sonnenscein & Co., 1894. Half morocco, 9 inches tall. A very pretty copy of this interesting study in a half crushed morocco by Zaehnsdorf with elaborate gilt tooling on a smooth back. Gilt top edge. Rather splendid 'Arthurian' bookplate. Embellished with a portrait and 4 engraved plates. A previous owner's neat ink signature on a blank.

London: William Sams, 1822. Full morocco, 14 1/2 inches tall. In a later full crushed morocco by Zaehnsdorf with gilt raised bands and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. A panel with elaborate gilt corner tooling and a wide and elegant roll frames the boards. Wide gilt dentelles and all edges. The folio has been preserved in a sturdy buckram case, ensuring the pristine condition of the volume. Tissues guard the plates, which show scenes of many vibrantly hand-coloured characters rather than emphasising the great buildings of the city which tend to be in the background. We see a lively portrayal of beautifully costumed Parisians in diverse walks of life. A splendid copy of one of the finest books of the period on Paris.

Edinburgh: At the Apollo Press, 1777. 4 volume set, 5 inches tall. A very pretty little set in 18th century tree calf with twin labels and dense gilt tooling on a smooth back. With a neat ink previous owner's name on the first blanks. Engraved portrait and 4 engraved title pages. Excellent condition with no splits or loss. Complete in 4 volumes but printed as part of Bell's 'Poets of Great Britain'. A delightful little set of Young's Poetical works including his "Complaint: or, Night Thoughts", one of the most popular and influential poems of the 18th century.

London: John Murray, 1834-1838. 12 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. An exceptionally good looking late Victorian full calf with wide blind tooled raised bands, twin labels and extra gilt tooling to the panels. A gilt roll and fillets frame the monogram on the upper boards. Scuffs on the upper board of volume XII, otherwise a clean and very smart set. An extraordinary insight into the Napoleonic campaigns from the dispatches of Arthur Wellesley, the Duke of Wellington.

Paris: Michel Lévy Frères, 1860. 2 volume set, 9 inches tall. Full calf by the great firm of Leighton, from the library of Alfred Rothschild, but without his bookplate. With gilt raised bands, twin labels and neat centre tools to the panels. Twin gilt fillets and corner tools frame the boards. Pink edges. A fine copy of the first edition of this scarce title. In the original French.

Edinburgh & London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1878. 24 volume set, 7 inches tall. A delightful half morocco by Bickers with delicate and unusual gilt tooling on a smooth back. All edges gilt. Bookplate. This set is complete, including the 3 volume 'George Eliot's Life as related in her letters and journals' by J. W. Cross. There is a slight stain to several spines, not effecting the text block or shape of the volume at all. A superb set of the works of one of England's greatest 19th century novelists.

London: Virtue & Co., 1875. 2 volume set, 15 inches tall. A tall and magnificent full morocco by Flude, Birch & Skelt, and with their ticket, with twin gilt raised bands and splendid gilt and blind tooling to the panels and boards. With fine gilt dentelles and all edges. Bookplate. Complete with all 39 full page engravings and 2 engraved vignettes on the title pages. Some light foxing and offsetting from a few plates, overall an usually clean and neat set of this monumental edition.

New York: Derby and Jackson, 1859. 4 volume set, 7 1/2 inches tall. A very bright Victorian half calf with gilt raised bands, twin labels and extra gilt panels. There is some foxing to, and facing, the engraved portrait in volume one, the rest of the text in all four volumes is perfectly clean. Slight rubbing and scuffing. A very handsome set of the Works, in English, of this great 16th century French philosopher.

London: Macmillan and Co., 1899. Full morocco, 6 inches tall. A beautiful little binding by Ramage with gilt raised bands, dense gilt tooling of many stars and dots around heart centre tools to the panels. On the boards onlays of calf create rosebuds with a wide border of stars and hearts. Delicately gilt tooled dentelles and watered silk doublures and all edges gilt. The rather extraordinary bookplate of Sibell Cromartie (Countess Cromartie of Castle Leod) is found on the pastedown 'endpaper'. A delightful volume of the poetical works of John Keats.

London: Strahan & Co., 1872. Full morocco, 6 1/2 inches tall. A splendid full morocco binding with gilt raised bands and extra gilt panels. A single gilt fillet and extravagant corner tooling frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With the armorial bookplate of Viscount Boyne of Burwarton House. A most attractive copy of the first edition.