Decorative Bindings (all items)

First editions and rare books in fine bindings and decorative bindings and manuscripts, including first editions bound by the Chelsea Bindery, and multi-volume library sets.

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18 Poems. View Details Add to Wishlist

THOMAS, Dylan.

18 Poems. 1934

£1,250

First edition, first impression, first issue. On of 250 copies bound. The author's first collection.

Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea in black morocco, titles to spine, two raised bands, single rule to boards, inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt,... Read more

A Book of Caricatures. View Details Add to Wishlist

BEERBOHM, Max.

A Book of Caricatures. 1907

£1,500

First Edition, First Impression.

Folio. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full red morocco, titles to spine gilt, inner dentelles gilt, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. 49 plates. A fine copy. Read more

A Book of Mediterranean Food. View Details Add to Wishlist

DAVID, Elizabeth.

A Book of Mediterranean Food. 1958

£1,250

Second edition with revisions.

Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in green morocco, titles to spine, raised bands, twin rule to turn-ins, burgundy endpapers, gilt edges. The occasional... Read more

A Changed Man, The Waiting Supper and Other Tales, View Details Add to Wishlist

HARDY, Thomas.

A Changed Man, The Waiting Supper and Other Tales, 1913

£250

First edition, first impression.

Octavo (197 × 132 mm). Contemporary blue half morocco by Root & Son, spine gilt in compartments, blue cloth sides, marbled endpapers, ruling to boards and top... Read more

A Child's Garden of Verses. View Details Add to Wishlist

STEVENSON, Robert Louis.

A Child's Garden of Verses. 1885

£1,750

First Edition, First Impression.

Small octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full dark green morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, raised bands, single rule to boards gilt, inner... Read more

No Image Available View Details Add to Wishlist

STEVENSON, Robert Louis.

A Child's Garden of Verses. 1885

£1,500

First edition, first impression.

Small octavo (157 × 102 mm). Contemporary calf, two brown morocco labels, elaborate tooling in compartments, flat bands, triple rule to boards with central... Read more

A Child's Garden of Verses. View Details Add to Wishlist

STEVENSON, Robert Louis.

A Child's Garden of Verses. 1912

£325

New edition.

Octavo. Finely bound in brown half morocco, titles and elaborate decoration to spine with small green morocco pieces onlaid, raised bands, brown cloth boards, plain... Read more

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. View Details Add to Wishlist

DICKENS, Charles.

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. [c.1920]

£375

A handsomely bound facsimile of the first edition of Dickens's first and most enduring Christmas gift book which was first published in 1843.

Small octavo (163 × 100 mm). Finely bound by Riviere in red calf, brown and black morocco labels, elaborate tooling to spine in compartments, raised bands, twin... Read more

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas. View Details Add to Wishlist

DICKENS, Charles.

A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being A Ghost Story of Christmas. 1844

£2,950

Fourth Edition.

Small octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full crimson morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, raised bands, single rule to boards gilt, inset with... Read more

A Chronicle of England B.C. 55–A.D. 1485. View Details Add to Wishlist

DOYLE, James E.

A Chronicle of England B.C. 55–A.D. 1485. 1864

£750

First edition of one of the earliest and finest examples of Victorian colour printing. The illustrator and antiquary James Doyle was the uncle of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator...

Large quarto. Contemporary deluxe binding by Riviere of green straight-grained morocco, covers with double floral borders in gilt, English royal motifs (a crowned... Read more

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. View Details Add to Wishlist

[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. 1923

£95

Volume 14 of the definitive edition of Mark Twain's writings. A handsomely bound copy.

Octavo (218 × 145 mm). Contemporary brown half morocco, titles to spine, raised bands, brown cloth boards, cream endpapers, top edge gilt. With black and white... Read more

A Dictionary of the English Language: View Details Add to Wishlist

JOHNSON, Samuel.

A Dictionary of the English Language: 1810

£1,500

Tenth edition, corrected and revised.

2 volumes, quarto (270 × 207 mm). Contemporary tree calf, spines elaborately gilt in compartments, red and black morocco labels, marbled endpapers, floral roll to... Read more

A Dictionary of the English Language; View Details Add to Wishlist

JOHNSON, Samuel.

A Dictionary of the English Language; 1799

£1,000

Eleventh edition, corrected and revised.

Octavo (216 × 126 mm). Near contemporary brown calf, ruling to spine and boards gilt, five raised bands, brown morocco label. Bookplate. Attractive pencil sketch... Read more

A Farewell to Arms. View Details Add to Wishlist

HEMINGWAY, Ernest.

A Farewell to Arms. 1929

£1,375

First Edition, First Printing.

Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full black morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, raised bands, single rule to boards gilt, inner dentelles gilt,... Read more

A Gazetteer of the World View Details Add to Wishlist

(GAZETTEER).

A Gazetteer of the World [c.1860]

£375

A bright and attractive set.

7 volumes, octavo (252 × 165 mm). Contemporary blue half calf, crimson morocco label, elaborate decoration to spines in compartments separated by raised bands,... Read more

A Handful of Dust. View Details Add to Wishlist

WAUGH, Evelyn.

A Handful of Dust. 1934

£1,375

First Edition, First Impression.

Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full burgundy morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, raised bands single rule to boards gilt, twin rule to... Read more

A History of Ancient Greek Literature. View Details Add to Wishlist

MURRAY, Gilbert.

A History of Ancient Greek Literature. 1907

£45

First published in 1897.

Octavo (189 × 127 mm). Contemporary blue half calf, titles and decoration to spine, raised bands, blue cloth boards, school crest to front board, marbled... Read more

A History of England View Details Add to Wishlist

LINGARD, John.

A History of England 1825

£850

Third edition. Inscribed by the publishers to to the top of the title page "With the publisher's respects."

14 volumes, octavo (212 ×130 mm). Contemporary tan calf, double morocco labels tan and brown, elaborate tooling to spines in compartments, raised bands, rules to... Read more

A History of The American People. View Details Add to Wishlist

WILSON, Woodrow.

A History of The American People. 1902

£1,250

First edition.

5 volumes, octavo. Bound in recent full red morocco, two black title labels to each spine gilt, infilled box design gilt, raised bands, decorative border to boards... Read more

A History of the British Army. View Details Add to Wishlist

FORTESCUE, The Hon. J. W.

A History of the British Army. 1911-35

£3,500

Publication began in 1899 and the final volume was first published in 1930. This set is, as usual, of mixed editions, the last 6 volumes being firsts. So truly a lifetime's work, and...

13 volumes in 20, 14 text volumes and 6 maps volumes, original red cloth, titles gilt to spines. In the dust jackets. Numerous folding coloured maps. Light browning,... Read more

A History of The English Speaking Peoples. View Details Add to Wishlist

CHURCHILL, Winston S.

A History of The English Speaking Peoples. 1956–58

£950

All first editions, first impressions.

4 volumes. Octavo. Bound in recent burgundy morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. Illustrated with maps and diagrams.... Read more

A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. View Details Add to Wishlist

CHURCHILL, Winston S.

A History of the English-Speaking Peoples. 1956–8

£1,250

First editions, first impressions. Churchill's history of the two branches of the English-speaking nations – the British Empire and the United States – was begun during his...

4 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by Bayntun Riviere in dark blue half morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, blue cloth boards, marbled endpapers, top... Read more

A History of the Four Georges. View Details Add to Wishlist

MCCARTHY, Justin.

A History of the Four Georges. 1884

£250

An attractively bound library set.

4 volumes, octavo (213 × 132 mm). Contemporary blue half morocco by Mudie, spines gilt in compartments, marbled sides, endpapers, and edges. Bindings slightly... Read more

A Laodicean; or, The Castle of the De Stacys. A Story of To-Day. View Details Add to Wishlist

HARDY, Thomas.

A Laodicean; or, The Castle of the De Stacys. A Story of To-Day. 1881

£1,500

First edition.

3 volumes, octavo (185 × 115 mm). Near contemporary blue half morocco by Zaehnsdorf, spines gilt in compartments, blue cloth sides, marbled endpapers, ruling to... Read more

A List of the General and Field-Officers, As they Rank in the Army; View Details Add to Wishlist

(MILITARY)

A List of the General and Field-Officers, As they Rank in the Army; 1776

£850

First edition. These eighteenth-century Army Lists are becoming harder and harder to find, and those for the years of the American War of Independence are particularly desirable....

Octavo (228 × 136 mm) Contemporary red morocco, green morocco label, spine gilt in compartments, sun in splendour central tools with olive branch and banderolle... Read more