| General Notes | This is the fourth edition of this superb work first published 1743-1751. It has 108 full page portrait engravings, by Houbraken and Vertue, after various famous paintings of the subjects, ranging from Geoffrey Chaucer to Alexander Pope. The high quality of the paper stock and binding means that the plates and text are in superb condition, and the book has suffered only light wear externally. The rear endpapers are dark grey, probably contemporaneous with the binding, and the front endpapers plain white, probably original. There is very mild tanning and ink transference from plate to text apparent in the first few plates but generally the plates and text are in superb fresh condition. The binding would appear to be mid to late 19th century with a Christopher Dresser style border edging and elaborate tooled compartments. Externally there is rubbing to joints and corners, the top of the spine and tips of the corners rubbed away, but the binding and hinges and joints are sound without repair.
Discounted from £595 |