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Liverpool: Brown, Barnes & Bell, 1878. 2 volume set, 16 1/2 inches tall. A huge and spectacular morocco binding by the great Victorian bookbinders of Liverpool, Fazakerley. A binding of the highest quality, perhaps an exhibition piece, with gilt raised bands and ornate gilding to the panels and boards, incorporating liver birds, floral flourishes and pallet work, framed within twin fillets. All edges gilt and fine gilt dentelles. The endpapers are also a delight, involving more liver birds, urns and floral designs. Embellished with 72 plates. A charming and nostalgic look at the lost buildings and areas of Old Liverpool in excellent condition, inside and out.

London: Richard Bentley, 1840-1875. 23 volume set, 8 1/2 inches tall. A Superb full polished calf by Riviere with gilt raised bands, twin labels, fine gilt tooling to the panels and a triple gilt fillet framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Engraved frontispieces. All first editions. A fine set of these celebrated historical works. (Comprising: The Court of England During the Reign of the Stuarts; The Court of England from the Revolution in 1688 to the Death of George II; George Selwyn and his Contemporaries; Memorials of London; Memoirs of the Pretenders; London and its Celebrities; Memoirs of Richard III: Memoirs of George III; Celebrated Etonians). Fine set from the library of an Oxfordshire country house.

London: Bohn, 1848. Half morocco, 15 inches tall. A glorious tall copy from the library of the Duke of Gloucester at Kensington Palace. Prince Henry Duke of Gloucester was the third son of King George V, brother of King George VI and King Edward VIII. In pristine condition this copy was bound by J. Wright, one of the finest binders of the early Victorian period, with gilt raised bands, label and magnificent gilt armorial centre tools. All edges gilt. Decorated with 60 full page hand coloured plates, all dated 1811-13.

London: John Murray, 1850. 2 volume set, 9 inches tall. A pristine set of this classic work in full mid-Victorian honey calf. With gilt raised bands, exquisite floral gilt tooling to the panels and double gilt fillet framing the boards. First edition. With the bookplate of Edward Nicholas Hurt of Wirksworth. This superb set is in pristine condition, both in terms of the text block and binding, evidently having not been read.

London: J. Johnson, 1807-1808. 6 volume set, 12 inches tall. Exceptionally good looking Georgian full russia calf with blind tooled twin raised bands and splendid blind tooling to the panels, typical of the period. The boards have a series of blind rolls and fillets and single gilt fillet framing a central blind panel with corner tools. With the armorial bookplate of Lord Kinnaird of Rossie Priory. Some foxing but generally very clean. The books are in excellent condition but, as is so often the case with heavy russia calf, some joints are fragile and creased. This is an important new edition of this great work, first printed in 1577 that is the basis for many of Shakespeare's plays.

London: Longman et al., 1830-1839. 9 volume set, 6 1/2 inches tall. Exquisite little set with gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels and triple labels. Note the spectacular volume label. The tree calf boards are framed within an ornate floral gilt roll. Each title page has an engraved vignette. From the library of Edward Nicholas Hurt, most of whose books were of this highest quality. The first 3 volumes are by Sir James Mackintosh, volumes 4 to 9 are by Wallace and evidently were bound 9 years later resulting in a slight variation of tooling. A tenth volume was printed some years later. A beautiful set.

London: Macmillan, 1877-1880; 1881; 1883. 6 volume collection, 9 inches tall. A set of the 3 great histories by Green bound beautifully by Hopkins of Glasgow. With gilt raised bands, triple olive green labels and exquisite gilt tooling in the panels. The boards are decorated in the style of 17th century Cambridge panels, speckled and stenciled. Gilt dentelles and top edges. A few superficial abrasions. As nice a late Victorian bound set as one could hope to find.

London: Cadell and Davies, 1807. 2 volume set bound in 3, 10 1/2 inches tall. A magnificent full speckled calf Regency Binding with gilt raised bands, twin labels and delicate tooling to the panels. Blue Speckled edges. With fine folding hand-coloured map. With the Stewart bookplate. Emblazoned with foreign orders and decorations, Stewart was appointed ambassador to Vienna attending, with his brother Castlereagh and Wellington, the congress convened there to determine the future of Europe following the fall of Bonaparte. However, his dissolute behaviour, womanizing (he was widowed in 1812) and preposterous love of display, which earned him the sobriquet of "The Golden Peacock", created more comment (and enjoyment) than his skills of diplomacy. A splendid looking set with a great provenance.

London: John Murray, 1910, 1912,1914 & 1916. 4 volume set, 8 3/4 inches tall. An extremely good looking Edwardian full calf from the library of Evelyn de Rothschild and with his bookplate. Bound with gilt raised bands, twin labels and superb gilt tooling to the panels. Twin gilt fillets and corner tools and twin blind fillets frame the boards. Well illustrated throughout. Slight variation to the shade of green on the labels. A splendid set, with an interesting association, of the life of one of Britain's greatest Victorian Prime Ministers.

Oxford, The University Press, 1857. 6 volume set, 9 inches tall. A most attractive mid Victorian half calf by Morrell, with gilt raised bands, twin labels and fine gilt tooling to the panels, Gilt top edges. Narcissus Luttrell (1657–1732) was an English historian, diarist, and bibliographer, and briefly Member of Parliament for two different Cornish boroughs. His Brief Historical Relation of State Affairs from September 1678 to April 1714, a chronicle of the Parliaments of England and Great Britain, was distilled from his diary and published in 1857, after Macaulay had drawn attention to the manuscript in All Souls College, Oxford (Wikipedia). A very fine set of the first edition of this important work which also covers major events in diplomacy, literature and the arts.

London & Philadelphia, Nimmo & Lippincott, 1889. 2 volume set, 11 1/2 inches tall. A spectacular set in full morocco with gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels, wide dentelles and gilt top edges. With the armorial bookplate of John Charles Black, U.S. Civil War Colonel and Congressman. This edition was limited to 780 copies of which this is number 147. With 11 plates and 22 vignettes by L. Boisson and a further 104 extra engraved illustrations. A magnificent and unique set of this great work.

London: Longman et al., 1851. 5 volume set, 6 1/2 inches tall. Exquisite little set with gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels and triple labels. Note the spectacular volume label. The tree calf boards are framed within an ornate floral gilt roll. Each volume has an engraved frontispiece. From the library of Edward Nicholas Hurt, most of whose books were of this highest quality.

London: Chapman and Hall, 1846. 3 volume set, 9 inches tall. A stunning full 'Spanish Calf' with gilt bands, twin labels and dense, and most unusual, gilt tooling to the spine. The boards are framed within gilt corner tools and twin fillets. Pink speckled edges. With the armorial bookplate of Christopher Turnor of the the magnificent Stoke Rochford Hall. There is quite heavy foxing, almost completely confined to the portrait and title page of volume I. This is the second, enlarged edition. A splendid set.

London: Dodsley in Pall-Mall, 1768. Full morocco, 9 3/4 inches tall. A glorious George III binding with gilt raised bands, green and black beautifully gilt tooled labels and gilt cross hatching to the remaining panels. A wide gilt roll incorporating crowns and coronets frames the boards. All edges gilt. A lovely copy of the first edition of arguably Walpole's most famous book. A bookplate has been removed. Engraved frontispiece and one plate, both by Grignion after Vertue.

London, Paris, New York: Goupil & Co., 1899. Full morocco, 12 1/2 inches tall. A sumptuous binding by Riviere in an unusual orange goat skin, with gilt raised bands and very fine extra gilt tooling to the panels and gilt roll and triple fillet framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Beautifully printed and with illustrations throughout including the colour portrait of Oliver Cromwell. One of a series of extravagantly produced, mostly Royal, biographies. Deluxe limited edition in very fine condition.

London: Longman et al., 1830-1832. 2 volume set, 6 1/2 inches tall. Exquisite little set with gilt raised bands, extra gilt panels and triple labels. Note the spectacular volume label. The tree calf boards are framed within an ornate floral gilt roll. Each title page has an engraved vignette. This 2 volume set constituted the first part of 'The History of the Western World' But is complete in itself. From the library of Edward Nicholas Hurt, most of whose books were of this highest quality.

London: Sampson Low, Marston & Company, 1897. 2 volume set, 9 inches tall. This great 'Life of Nelson', first edition, in a very smart half navy blue morocco by Riviere with gilt raised bands and fine gilt naval centre tools within neat gilt frames on the panels. Gilt top edges. With 20 full page illustrations and a further 20 maps and battle plans. Captain Mahan of The United States Navy wrote several of the most important and influential naval histories of the 19th century. From the library of Alfred de Rothschild, but without his bookplate. A magnificent set.