Foreign Bookbindings in the British Museum

Illustrations of sixty-three examples selected on account of their beauty or historical interest with Introduction and Descriptions by William Younger Fletcher FSA, Late Assistant Keeper Department of Printed Books, British Museum. The plates printed in facsimile by W. Griggs Chromo-Lithographer to Her Majesty the Queen. Limited edition of 500 copies, this being number 325. Hardback. Folio. [i - vi], vii - xvii, [xviii], xiv - xxiv pp. Thereafter unpaginated but with plates numbered I - LXV. Paper guards to chromo-lithographs. Publisher's original blue moire covered boards with gilt to upper board and spine. Top edge gilt and patterned endpapers. No jacket. The book also contains a loosely inserted facsimile of the cover of The Edition Magnifique, this bears a pencil comment (unverified) to its rear that it is one of 6 copies. The chromo-lithographs are printed to rectos with associated descriptive text on facing verso (occasionally continuing on the page following the image. Many of the images are reproduced at the actual size of the original covers but also give dimensions. The text is large and clear and has decorated capitals and other ornaments. A stunning illustrated description of these fabulous books. Book in good condition. Boards rubbed at corners and occasionally to edges. Hinges rubbed, Extremities of spine worn with some fraying. Fading to spine and to the boards in patches. Upper board has a couple of small marks. Occasional cracks to gutter and front hinge weak but overall a solidly bound text block with the exception of Plate XVIII and subsequent leaf and paper guard, which are loose at gutter from the top downwards by approx 7cms. Guard to Plate IV has a closed tear at lower edge, guard to Plate V has a small triangular hole, guard to Plate VII has a small tear at lower edge, guard to Plate XXVIII is coming loose at gutter from top and has a small tear at lower edge, guard to Plate XXXVII is detaching at gutter from top, guard to Plate LIII has a tear at bottom edge plus two tiny holes and one slightly larger hole resulting from adhesion to the ink of the plate - as a result there are some very small marks to the chromo-lithograph where the ink has been lost, Guard to Plate LIV has a very small hole, guard to Plate LVI hanging on by the upper 6cms, guard to Plate LXIII is loose, guard to Plate LXIV is coming loose from the gutter for the upper 7cms approx, guard to Plate LXV detached at gutter for approx half its height. Minimal spotting isolated to endpapers and adjacent leaf. This is a very large and very heavy book. No additional shipping costs to UK post codes but overseas buyers please ask for a shipping estimate.