Signed Bindings

London: Printed by Bensley for Jennings and Tomkins, 1823. Full morocco, 7 inches tall. An exquisite little binding by Bayntun with gilt raised bands, beautiful gilt tooling to the panels and both boards. 2 vignettes, one hand-coloured and 24 hand-coloured plates. The plates are engraved by Tomkins from original designs by 'An Illustrious Personage, (Princess Elizabeth, daughter of George III). From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. This copy was purchased by Queen Mary in 1940. Slight fading to the spine which is still lovely and bright, otherwise this charming work is in pristine condition.

London: Walter Spiers, 1838; Longman et al., 1847; Bradbury and Evans, 1853; Bradbury and Evans, 1854; Bradbury and Evans, 1858; Bradbury and Evans, 1860; Bradbury and Evans, 1865. 7 volumes, 8 1/2 inches tall. Splendid, sparkling full calf by Bumpus with gilt raised bands, 'country' gilt centre tools, triple labels (excepting the first novel, 'Jorrocks's Jaunts' which was published anonymously) and with gilt corner tools and triple fillets framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. These are all first editions in single volume book form excepting 'Handley Cross'. "Jorrocks's Jaunts' has 12 full page illustrations by 'Phiz', 'Hawbuck Grange' 8 plates by 'Phiz', the remainder have hand coloured plates by Leech. Some foxing and a small superficial stain to the lower board of 'Jorrocks's Jaunts'. A wonderful collection of these hilarious, vulgar and rollicking novels of English Country life in the early nineteenth century

London: John Murray, 1853-54 & 1871. 8 volumes, 9 inches tall. The Earl Stanhope was styled Viscount Mahon between 1816-1855, the later volume precedes the text of the 7 volume set and is uniformly bound in an elegant half crushed morocco by Roger De Coverley, one of the greatest binders of the period. The bindings have gilt raised bands, splendid gilt centre tools and gilt top edges. There is some foxing to the preliminaries, then perfectly clean. Stanhope was an antiquarian politician and much respected historian.

London: Richard Bentley, 1840, 1842 & 1847. 3 volume set, 8 inches tall. A very fine full crushed morocco by Riviere with gilt raised bands and very fine gilt tooling around a comic centre tool to the panels. The boards are framed within a triple gilt fillet. Gilt dentelles and top edges. With red and black title pages, 17 etched plates by Cruikshank and Leech and 2 engraved portraits. The original cloth covers and spines bound in. A nasty scuff on the fore corner of the 3rd series but still a super set of first editions of this fantastical work.

London: Smith, Elder, & Co., 1902. 13 volume set, 8 inches tall. A very handsome set in half Edwardian calf by Bumpus with wide gilt raised bands, centre tooling and striking twin green labels. Gilt top edges. A neat ink inscription on the first blank. With portrait and illustrations by Thackeray throughout. Now celebrated mostly for 'Vanity Fair' with the adventures in society of Becky Sharp during the period of the Napoleonic Wars. Thackeray was one of the most popular and influential of all English Victorian novelists. A lovely set in fine condition.

London: Hurst and Blackett, 1894. 2 volume set, 9 inches tall. A splendid half morocco by Riviere with gilt raised bands, 'hunting, shooting and fishing' gilt centre tools to the panels and gilt top edges. Bookplates. With a total of 33 plates. Inscribed by the author to his brother. Subscriber's special copy. These entertaining reminiscences contain the first recorded appearance of the phrase "like a duck to water".......I always took to shooting like a duck to water.

London: E. Grant Richards, 1905 & 1906. 4 volume set, 5 inches tall. A delightful set of this series of chapbooks beautifully bound by Truslove & Hanson of Mayfair with gilt raised bands and extra-gilt panels. Gilt top edges. Armorial bookplates.

Paris: Isidore Liseux, 1879. 2 volume set, 6 3/4 inches tall. A superb half morocco by Bumpus with gilt raised bands and fine extra gilt panels and gilt top edge. The title pages are printed on vellum. Very slight wear to the joints but very solid and in a beautiful binding. From the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey. Poggio Bracciolini, writing in the 16th century is celebrated for rediscovering many classical Latin manuscripts, many otherwise unknown, from monastic libraries. He made important finds in St. Gallen, Cluny Abbey, Langres, Monte Cassino and Hersfeld Abbey, amongst many others. The texts here are in English with the original Latin in a smaller type below.

London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1909. 4 volume set, 7 3/4 inches tall. A neat plum half crushed morocco with raised bands, simple gilt pallets and gilt top edges. Bound by William Brown of Edinburgh. A smart set of all 4 series of these celebrated essays.

London and New York: John Lane: 1901; 1902;1903;1903. 4 volume set, 7 inches tall. A handsome half morocco binding by W. Roach of New York with wide gilt raised bands, charming gilt tooling to the panels and gilt top edges.