Fine Bindings

G. Bell and Sons. Ltd. London. 1936. Reprint of title originally published in 1924. 8vo. (7.4 x 5 inches). Illustrated with 24 mono photographic plates. A bright and clean copy bound, by G. F. Laurence binders of london, in early half burgundy calf. Spine with five raised band. Compartments ruled in blind and lettered and decorated in gilt. Red cloth on boards. Top edge gilt. Marbled endpapers. Gilt stamped school coat of arms of Owen's School Islington to the front board. Prize label, dated 1939, on the front inner board. A very good, attractive copy.

Green grained leather binding with raised banding, gilt decoration and title on the spine. Gilt title and decoration on the front board. All edges gilt. In a black protective box.

London: Printed for T. Kelly, 1821. First Edition First Printing . Leather Bound. Very Good/No Jacket. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. Octavos. 664; 719 pages. Hardcovers bound in full tan leather by Root & Son, London (signed on the leather turn-ins of the front paste downs) and hosued in a brown cloth slipcase. The slipcase shows moderate wear and is quite sturdy. Raised bands on the spines with 6 compartments and intricate gilt tooling. Red and green leather labels on the spines, and "1821" is stamped in gilt on another burgundy label at the foot of the spines. All edges gilt. Light wear to the bindings. The headcap of Volume II is a bit rubbed, but overall an exceptionally clean and attractive set. Gilt inner dentelles. Blue marbled endpapers. Text is clean. Illustrated with 26 full-page engravings, including engraved title page. There are 11 engravings in Volume I and 15 engravings in Volume II.

London: J. Harris and Son, 1823. Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. 12mo. 171 pages. Hardcover quarter bound in 20th century red leather with marbled paper covered boards. Five raised spine bands. Light to moderate wear to the binding. The hinges are quite sound. There is a scuff mark or scrape on the marbled paper on the rear board. The text is generally clean. There is a faint afterimage of the title of another book on the back of the engraved title page. "Vita di Battista Franco Pittore Veneziano (i)" This volume is illustrated with 22 numbered copperplate engravings on 11 pages, plus an engraved title page and a smaller illustration on the printed title page.

Full leather tree binding with raised gilt banding, lettering and decoration on the spine. Gilt decorative edging on both boards with "Christ Church Canterbury" emblem on the front board. Binding by Bickers and Sons, Leicester.

Edinburgh, London and Dublin: W. H. Lizars, and Stirling andKenne / Lon gman, Rees, Ornme, Brown, Green / W. Curry Jun. and Col, 1833. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. 12mos. 146; 166; 232; 175 pages. Small books measuring about 6 3/4 inches tall. Hardcovers bound in green 3/4 calf with burgundy marbled paper-covered boards. A married set. Volumes I & II are in slightly different bindings than Volumes II & IV. Volumes I & II show light wear with bright gilt tooling on the spines. Black labels on the spines. All edges marbled, and the endpapers are marbled. The bindings are sound and clean, and the text is generally clean. Both volumes have an early bookplate of "Viscount Gort." Volumes III & IV are dated 1834 and show heavier rubbing and some scuffing and have less gilt on the spines. No black leather labels (but as issued). Plain or faintly speckled edges and plain brown endpapers. The text is a little toned with occasional foxing, and some of… Read More

Tan and faded red binding.Gilt edging and decoration on the spine. Green title plates. First Edition Brilliantly illustrated with also an excellent map.

London: John Muray, 1837. First Edition First Printing . Hardcover. Very Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. Octavos. xxxii, 406; xxxiv, 446; xxiv, 404 pages. Hardcovers bound in early dark olive green or brown full leather with raised bands on the spines. Compartments on the spines tooled in gilt. Boards have gilt rules. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. The bindings are rubbed and bumped but are sound and fairly attractive. The front board of Volume II has some scuffing along the fore edge. The text is a little toned but is generally quite clean. Illustrated throughout. An attractive full leather set.

Hodder & Stoughton. London. 1899. 8vo. (7.4 x 5 inches). Fifty second edition, completing two hundred and forty seventh thousand copies. Some light foxing to a few pages and previous owner neat printed bookplate on the blank pastedown endpaper otherwise clean and bright throughout. Bound in attractive amateur full tan morocco Arts and crafts style binding. Spine with five raised bands, compartments ruled, dotted and lettered in gilt. The boards with decorative gilt ruled line design and dots, and green leather onlaid floral corner pieces. The front board also has an extra ruled panel with the title lettered to the top. Inside of boards have gilt double ruled borders. Plain blue endpapers. All edges gilt. A little rubbing to the extremities and marks to the leather but overall an attractive early twentieth century amateur craft binding.

High Quality leather binding. Gilt entwined edging on both boards. Front board has a gilt Oxford Local Examinations emblem. Red title plate with gilt lettering and ornate decoration on the spine.
Ivanhoe: A Romance by Walter Scott is a historical novel published in three volumes, in 1819, as one of the Waverley novels. At the time it was written, the novel represented a shift by Scott away from writing novels set in Scotland in the fairly recent past to a more fanciful depiction of England in the Middle Ages. Ivanhoe proved to be one of the best-known and most influential of Scott's novels. Set in 12th-century England, with colourful descriptions of a tournament, outlaws, a witch trial, and divisions between Jews and Christians, Ivanhoe is credited for increased interest in chivalric romance and medievalism. John Henry Newman claimed that Scott "had first turned men's minds in the direction of the Middle Ages", while Thomas Carlyle and John Ruskin likewise asserted Scott's great influence upon the… Read More

Full navy calf binding. Unusual squared pattern on both boards with gilt edging. Red title plate with gilt floral pattern and lettering on the spine. Green marbled end papers and edges.
A clean First Edition Henry Neele (29 January 1798 – 7 February 1828) was an English poet and literary scholar. He was also a practising lawyer in the West End of London. Neele was the son of Samuel John Neele (1758–1824), a cartographer, engraver, and copperplate and printer, who had his business in the Strand, London. The family soon moved to Kentish Town, where he was brought up and educated. He had at least one brother, Josiah Neele (fl. 1826–45), who was to follow in his father's trade. At school and in later life, Neele acquired a good knowledge of French and some German and Italian, but little Latin or Greek. On leaving school, Neele was articled to an attorney, and after qualifying, practised in Great Blenheim Street (now Ramillies Street) in the West End of London. Barbara Hofland relates that he… Read More

Philadelphia: M. Carey and Sons, 1820. Hardcover. Good/No Jacket. 12mo - over 6¾ - 7¾" tall. 12mos. 288; 309 pages. TWO VOLUME SET. Hardcovers bound in brown 3/4 leather with marbled paper boards. The bindings are worn and bumped but sound. Corners are bumped. Spines a bit dulled with the gilt tooling rubbed. Chipping at headcap of volume one. Marbled endpapers. Text is toned and foxed. In Volume II, the leaf for page 161-162 has a 2 1/2 inch tear at the top, running into the text but without loss. A sturdy set in the original bindings.

Red grained leather binding with raised banding, gilt squared decoration and gilt title on the spine. Both boards have gilt edging and gilt decorative design. All edges gilt. A very impressive and well bound book
Overview: Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet FRSE FSAScot (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish historical novelist, poet, playwright and historian. Many works remain classics of European and Scottish literature, notably the novels Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, Waverley, Old Mortality, The Heart of Mid-Lothian and The Bride of Lammermoor, and the narrative poems The Lady of the Lake and Marmion. He had a major impact on European and American literature. As an advocate, judge and legal administrator by profession, he combined writing and editing with daily work as Clerk of Session and Sheriff-Depute of Selkirkshire. He was prominent in Edinburgh's Tory establishment, active in the Highland Society, long a president of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (1820–1832), and a vice president of the… Read More

London: Printed for J. Wilcox and T. Osborne, 1736. First Edition First Printing . Leather Bound. Very Good/No Jacket. 8vo - over 7¾ - 9¾" tall. Octavos. Three volume set. xxx, 529; 574; 564 [lii] pages, indexed in the last volume. Has 42 copperplate engravings including 17 folding maps and plans, an engraved frontis, and 25 engraved plates of medallions. Maps and engravings all in very nice, clean condition. Hardcovers bound in original full paneled calf leather with covers designs ruled in blind and gilt designs on the spine. The bindings show moderate rubbing and wear. The corners and edges are bumped. The hinges are generally sound, however there is cracking in the hinges on Volume III. Volume I shows a dark spot and a possible liquid stain on the front cover. Speckled edges. Upper outer edges of the text blocks are darkened. Modern owner's simple bookplate ("Charles Benson") on the front pastedown of each volume. There is very light foxing and/or spotting to the end papers. The text is… Read More

Full tree calf with gilt edging on the boards. Spine has red and black title plates, Raised gilt banding with gilt decoration. All edges marbled to match endpapers. Fine binding by Riviere & Son.
Exceedingly well kept Macaulay's "History of England" was first published in 1848 and it is a book with which every historian writing on the Glorious Revolution of 1688 still has to engage today. This is because Macaulay's interpretation is so powerful and convincing.
Thomas Babington Macaulay, 1st Baron Macaulay, FRS FRSE PC (25 October 1800 – 28 December 1859) was a British historian and Whig politician. He is considered primarily responsible for introducing the Western education system in India. He wrote extensively as an essayist, on contemporary and historical sociopolitical subjects, and as a reviewer. His The History of England was a seminal and paradigmatic example of Whig history, and its literary style has remained an object of praise since its publication, including subsequent to the widespread… Read More