BIRKET FOSTER R.W.S. by H.M. Cundall.
Adam and Charles Black, London. 1906. First Edition. Complete with the very scarce original dust-wrapper.
The A. & C. Black colour plate books (the 20/- series of ‘Black’s Beautiful Books’) are justly celebrated for their attractive design and expensive production values. They were the first to make use of "three colour" process for colour plates and the books were lavish in their use of colour illustrations, with most volumes having 70 or more colour plates. The illustrations by leading artists and illustrators of the day are matched with informative texts and beautiful book cloth designs that were mostly the work of A.A. Turbayne of the Carlton Studio. The books were costly to produce and this is reflected in their original selling price of 20 shillings (a week’s wages at the turn of the last century). It is interesting to note that, although this volume on Birket Foster was issued as part of the 20/- series and is always listed as such in the bibliographies, the price on the d/w is actually 25/-. Print runs of the first editions were quite low, typically being between 1,000 and 3,000 copies. Although all of the 20/- series were originally issued with dust wrappers very few copies survive with the d/w still present
Original decorated cloth lettered gilt. With 73 colour plates by Birket Foster, 20 full-page black and white illustrations and numerous other illustrations in the text. Large 8vo. Approx 9 inches x 6.5 inches (23cms x 16cms). xxpp + 216pp + 4pp publisher’s catalogue at rear.
In particularly nice condition. One corner a little bumped, some light foxing spots to prelims and fore edge, bright binding. Attractive bookplate of S.E.G. & F.W.M. Cox on front fixed endpaper. The text and plates are tight, clean and bright. A lovely copy in d/w that is a little foxed and has some tears and chips with small areas of loss at corners and head of spine.
A fairly heavy book and the packed weight will be approx 1200 grams
Please see my other listings this week for other interesting second-hand and antiquarian books. I am always happy to combine postage on multiple wins.
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