Luxury Books

Oxford: J. Parker, 1819. Full calf, 6 1/2 inches tall. A very good looking Regency full calf with wide gilt raised bands, black label and bold gilt centre tooling to the panels. A series of gilt and blind rolls, fillets and corner tooling and a blue inlaid panel create interesting panels, typical of the period, on both boards. An ink inscription, dated 1821 is found on the first blank. Slight rubbing and scuffing but still a fine copy.

Perth: R. Morison and Son, 1786. Full morocco, 7 inches tall. A late 18th century full straight grain morocco with gilt bands and splendid gilt centre tools and remarkable gilt foliate gauffered edges. From Morison's Edition of Scotish Poets. With 2 full page engravings. With some rubbing and a scuff on the lower board, otherwise firm and solid and clean.

London: Macmillan and Co., 1920. Full morocco, 7 1/2 inches tall. A full hard grain morocco binding by Bumpus with gilt raised bands and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. Triple gilt fillets frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. The spine is faded but remains bright. Embellished throughout with charming vignettes by Hugh Thomson. First published in book form in 1853, 'Cranford' has remained in print ever since.

London: Remington and Co., 1884. Full morocco, 8 1/2 inches tall. A remarkably beautiful binding by Zaehnsdorf with gilt raised bands, twin olive labels and dense, ornate gilt tooling with green calf onlays to the panels and boards. Wide and ornate gilt dentelles. All edges gilt. Extra-illustrated with a further 30 plates. 'An Essay on some of the Characteristics of Reynolds as a Designer, with especial Reference to his Portraiture of Children'. With the bookplate of Chippenham Lodge. A charming work in sparkling condition.

London: Macmillan and Co., 1926. Full morocco, 6 inches tall. A delightful and luxurious binding by Ramage with raised bands and floral gilt designs with purple calf onlays on the spine and boards. Wide gilt dentelles and watered silk doublures and endpapers. All edges gilt. Bookplate on the first blank. Very slight rubbing, otherwise in very fine condition. A wonderful volume containing many of the finest love poems ever written.

London: Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, 1822. Full morocco,10 inches tall. A superlative later full morocco binding by the great firm of Bedford, from the library of a Scottish Gentleman, in pristine condition. An exceptionally tall copy with gilt raised bands, ornate floral gilt tooling to the panels, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, wide gilt dentelles and top edges gilt. With 36 hand coloured aquatints by I.R. and George Cruikshank and 3 folding pages of songs. The original paper spine and cover, and advertisements, bound in. The images illustrate the hilarious and bawdy adventures of Jerry and his companions in Regency London. A beautiful volume.

London: Macmillan, 1894. Full calf, 6 1/2 inches tall. A remarkable cuir-ciselé, sculptured, or chiseled binding, in pristine condition, thanks to the felt lined solander box in which it is housed. The smooth spine is simply gilt tooled and the upper board has a floral cuir-ciselé design within twin gilt fillets with the date August 12 1897 in gilt. The lower boards has a single cuir-ciselé flower to the upper corner. Dentelles and top edge gilt. With an unusual endpaper with stenciled petals. Slight foxing to the preliminaries, otherwise clean. Arthur Hugh Clough was an English poet and famously the devoted assistant to Florence Nightingale and the brother of suffragist Anne Clough. A lovely and unique binding.

London: Elliot Stock, 1892. Full morocco, 7 inches tall. A beautiful Late Victorian binding in the 'Arts and Crafts' style in pristine condition. Bound for Hatchards of Piccadilly. With raised bands and delightful gilt tooling to the panels and boards. Wide gilt dentelles and all edges. Embellished with charming illustrations. There is a large bookplate on the reverse of the front free endpaper and a neat ink inscription on the second blank.

London: William Pickering, 1839. 3 volume set, 6 1/4 inches tall. A very handsome Edwardian binding in splendid full crushed morocco by Bumpus. With raised bands and elegant gilt and blind pallets and fillets creating neat frames to the panels and boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Portrait. A charming set of the works of Robert Burns, a great romantic poet and lyricist, celebrated as Scotland's national poet, in pristine condition.

London: Strahan & Co., 1872. Full morocco, 6 3/4 inches tall. First edition. A beautiful little binding with gilt raised bands, contrasting label and delicate floral gilt tooling to the panels. The boards are very finely tooled creating an elaborate gilt panel with red calf onlays. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Foxing to the reverse of the free endpapers and first blank then perfectly clean. This volume contains 2 of Tennyson's great Idylls ,'Gareth and Lynette,' follows the coming of Arthur, and the other title in this volume, 'The Last Tournament', immediately precedes 'Guinevere'. A delightful volume.

London: Thomas Boys, 1820. Full morocco, 10 inches tall. A wonderful tall late Victorian binding by the great firm of Bedford in pristine condition, inside and out. With gilt raised bands and luxurious floral gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt triple fillets frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and top edge. With an engraved title page and 12 hilarious full page hand coloured plates by Isaac Robert Cruikshank. From the library of a Scottish Gentleman. As fine a copy as one could possibly find of the first edition of this hilarious work advising much scrimping and saving.

London: Sidgwick & Jackson, 1917. Full morocco, 7 inches tall. A very smart full crushed morocco by Bumpus with gilt raised bands elegantly gilt framed panels and boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. A super copy of the poetical works of Rupert Brooke, English poet best known for his war sonnets written during the First World War.

Chiswick: Printed by C. Whittingham for R. Triphook, 1822. Half Calf, 6 1/2 inches tall. A good looking later binding in half mottled calf with a smooth back, gilt pallets, centre tools and label. Gilt top edge. Portrait. Small split to the head of the upper board but perfectly firm and solid. Foxing to the preliminaries. Martyred for his opposition to the Protestant Reformation, More is venerated as a Saint by the Catholic Church.

London: Methuen & Co., 1910. Full morocco, 6 1/2 inches tall. A very smart copy in full crushed morocco Edwardian binding by Bumpus with gilt raised bands, simple gilt framing to the panels and boards, gilt dentelles and all edges. Slight fading to the spine but still a luxurious and neat volume.

London: William Pickering, 1840; Cambridge: Deighton, 1848. 5 volume set, 9 inches tall. A most handsome Victorian full calf binding with gilt raised bands, twin labels and delicate gilt tooling to the panels. A fine set of the lectures of William Smyth, an English poet and historian celebrated for his analysis of both the American and French revolutions.

London: Elliot Stock, 1897. Full calf, 6 1/2 inches tall. A charming work in a very pretty binding by Bumpus with gilt raised bands. gilt rose centre tools to the panels and delightful gilt tooling to the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Armorial bookplate. Decorated throughout. Foxing to the endpapers and blanks, otherwise clean. A lengthy ink inscription on the first blank. Some rubbing and a scuff to one panels but still a lovely volume.

London: Tilt and Bogue, 1842. Full morocco, 9 1/2 inches tall. In pristine condition in a wonderful binding by the great firm of Bedford from the library of a Scottish Gentleman. With gilt raised bands and very fine gilt floral tooling to the panels. Triple gilt fillets frame the boards, gilt dentelles and top edge. The first edition of this classic comic work embellished with 22 full page engravings and a further 78 woodcut vignettes by George Cruikshank. Bound with 48 leaves of advertisements and the original covers of the original parts. As fine a copy of this splendid work as one could hope to find.

London: Reeves & Fisher Unwin. January 1882- June 1884. 5 volumes, 8 3/4 inches tall. A handsome half vellum with extra gilt panels and gilt bands on a smooth back. Pink top edges. Armorial bookplates. Run of the first five volumes (eventually running to 12 volumes with changes to the title and publisher over time). With 29 plates, 2 coloured. A scarce work with much fascinating information.

London: Chatto and Windus, 1909. Full morocco, 6 inches tall. A delightful full pink crushed morocco binding by Bumpus with gilt raised bands and very fine and unusual gilt tooling to the panels. Triple gilt fillets and ornate corner tooling frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Watered-silk doublures and endpapers. A scarce anthology, beautifully bound, in pristine condition.