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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TOLKIEN, J. R. R.
The Lord of the Rings. 1954–5
£12,500
First editions, first impressions. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of the most influential literary works of the century. Its first reception was mixed: favourable and...
3 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full red morocco, titles and decoration to spines gilt, "Eye of Sauron" to front boards gilt, marbled... Read more
JENKINS, James.
The Naval Achievements of Great Britain. From the Year 1793 to 1817. [after 1817]
£12,500
An extremely handsome copy of this magnificent publication, illustrating the high-water mark of Britain's maritime hegemony, and the apogee of the coloured aquatint. As Roger Quarm,...
Folio (358 × 285 mm). Twentieth-century royal blue crushed morocco by Birdsall, title gilt to spine, raised bands, double gilt ruled panels to the compartments,... Read more
JAMES, Henry.
The Novels and Tales. 1907 - 1917
£12,500
The New York edition. The first collected edition complete with the two pendent volumes separately issued in 1917. Rare in such an attractive contemporary binding.
26 volumes, octavo (210 × 140 mm). Finely bound by Sangorski and Sutcliffe in red half morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, marbled boards and... Read more
MELVILLE, Herman.
The Works . 1922–24
£12,500
The standard edition, limited to 750 copies. The Standard Edition was published episodically, and includes, among other pieces, the first edition of the novella Billy Budd, which...
16 volumes, octavo. Finely bound in recent full blue morocco, double red morocco labels, spines with gilt ship motifs in compartments, gilt rules to spines and sides,... Read more
![[The Prominent Novels and Short Stories.]](/content/store/products/26216/2/33282.jpg)
HEMINGWAY, Ernest.
[The Prominent Novels and Short Stories.] 1925 - 1986
£12,500
With the exception of Three Stories & Ten Poems they are all first editions, first printings. Three Stories & ten Poems was first published in 1923 with a limited print run of only...
17 volumes, octavo. Recent burgundy morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, single rule to boards, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. The occasional minor... Read more
HARDY, Thomas.
The Works. 1919
£10,500
The Mellstock edition. This edition consists of 500 copies signed by the author on the limitation page of volume 1. This collected edition is named after the mythical "Mellstock" of...
37 volumes, octavo. Recent dark blue morocco, spines gilt in compartments, marbled endpapers, decorative roll to boards and top edges gilt, others untrimmed. With... Read more
BURGESS, Walter W.
Bits of Old Chelsea. 1894
£10,000
First Edition, one of a limited edition of 110 copies, of which only 100 were for sale. A lavish piece of 1890s book production, with text by two fellow bohemian poets and...
Large folio (443 × 305 mm). Fine binding of reddish brown morocco by The Chelsea Bindery, spine and front cover lettered gilt, spine with wide raised bands, gilt... Read more
TAVERNIER, Jean Baptiste.
Les Six Voyages de Jean Baptiste Tavernier … en Turque, en Perse, et aux Indes. Pendant l'espace de quarante ans … 1679
£10,000
The first small format edition, following the quarto firsts of Les Six Voyages (1676) and Recueil (1678). Beautifully presented set of this highly desirable edition of the voyages of...
3 volumes, duodecimo (153 × 92 mm). Late eighteenth-century crimson straight-grained morocco, title gilt direct to the spine, flat bands, triple fillet gilt... Read more
![[Complete set of the Philip Marlowe novels.]](/content/store/products/6054/2/7608.jpg)
CHANDLER, Raymond.
[Complete set of the Philip Marlowe novels.] 1938-58
£10,000
All first editions, first printings. Chandler's first four novels were first published in America; the last three appeared first in the UK.
7 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in red morocco, titles and decoration to spines, single rule to boards, inner dentelles, dark blue endpapers,... Read more
![[The complete Hornblower:]](/content/store/products/5442/2/6986.jpg)
FORESTER, C. S.
[The complete Hornblower:] 1937–62
£10,000
All first editions, first impressions. Forester (real name Cecil Smith) was called to Hollywood to write a pirate film, working under Arthur Hornblower. However, before they had...
10 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in dark blue morocco, titles and ship motifs to spines, raised bands, twin rule to turn-ins, burgundy... Read more
(ARABIAN NIGHTS) BURTON, Richard F.
A plain and literal translation of the Arabian Nights' entertainments, 1885–88
£9,750
First edition, the authentic Benares edition, issued in a limited subscription of 1,000 copies. Richard Burton's celebrated translation "has become the pre-eminent English...
16 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full green morocco, titles and decoration to spines gilt, raised bands, inset burgundy morocco panels to... Read more
LACROIX, Paul de (ed.)
Galerie Contemporaine des Illustrations Françaises. 1890
£9,750
The more than 160 mounted photographs include portraits of Baudelaire by Carjat, Victor Hugo, Rossini, François Coppée, Gounod, le Duc d'Aumale, Corot, Edmond About, Puvis...
8 volumes, folio. Original half morocco with marbled boards, titles and decoration to boards gilt. Profusely illustrated with more than 160 mounted photographs.... Read more
LANG, Andrew (ed.)
The Fairy Books: 1889–1910
£9,750
A complete set of First Editions. Lang, poet, scholar and journalist, devoted most of his life to the compilation of traditional Fairy stories from around the world from both the...
12 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full green morocco, coloured label (each colour reflecting the respective titles), decoration spines gilt,... Read more
[DODGSON, Charles Lutwidge] CARROLL, Lewis.
The Nursery Alice. 1890
£9,750
Second (First Published) Edition. With "PRICE FOUR SHILLINGS" on the title page. With the author's presentation inscription to the half title page, "For Margery, from the author,...
Small quarto. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in red morocco, decorations to boards gilt, two raised bands, titles to spine gilt, with inset coloured onlay to... Read more
![[Dance to the Music of Time:]](/content/store/products/22997/2/28346.jpg)
POWELL, Anthony.
[Dance to the Music of Time:] 1951–75
£9,750
First editions, first impressions.
12 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in crimson morocco, titles to spine, raised bands, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. A fine set. Read more
![[Oriental romances; a collection of his fictional works in first edition.]](/content/store/products/1658/2/2863.jpg)
(ARABIAN LITERATURE) MORIER, Sir James Justinian.
[Oriental romances; a collection of his fictional works in first edition.] 1824–47
£9,750
First editions of all nine works, including four presentation copies from the author, most inscribed "From the Author" at the head of title, but the sixth inscribed to Sir Robert...
9 works in 24 volumes. Bound in handsome uniform mottled calf by Rivière & Son, boards with small Greek key border in gilt, spines gilt in compartments with red... Read more
![[The novels and short stories.]](/content/store/products/8088/2/9566.jpg)
STEINBECK, John.
[The novels and short stories.] 1929–61
£9,500
First trade editions, first issues. A complete collection of the novels and short stories by the 1962 Nobel Prize winner for Literature: Cup of Gold, The Pastures of Heaven, To a God...
17 volumes. Octavo. Recent dark green morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, single rule to boards, marbled endpapers, gilt edges. An excellent set... Read more
(ARABIAN NIGHTS) BURTON, Richard F.
A plain and literal translation of the Arabian Nights' entertainments, 1885–88
£8,750
First edition, the authentic Benares edition, issued in a limited subscription of 1,000 copies. Richard Burton's celebrated translation "has become the pre-eminent English...
16 volumes, octavo (237 × 145 mm). 20th-century brown half morocco for Henry Sotheran. Titles to spines and raised bands gilt, light brown cloth sides, marbled... Read more
KIPLING, Rudyard.
The Bombay Edition of the Works. 1913–38
£8,750
The Bombay Edition, one of only 500 complete sets from a limited edition of 1500 sets signed by the author on the half-title. The Bombay edition was initially published in 20 volumes...
31 volumes. Recent burgundy morocco, spines gilt in compartments, light and dark blue morocco labels, marbled endpapers, decorative roll to boards and top edge gilt,... Read more
KIPLING, Rudyard.
The Bombay Edition of the Works. 1913–38
£8,750
The Bombay Edition, one of only 500 complete sets from a limited edition of 1500 sets signed by the author on the half-title. The Bombay edition was initially published in 20 volumes...
31 volumes. Recent brown morocco, spines gilt in compartments, burgundy and green morocco labels, marbled endpapers, decorative roll to boards, top edges gilt, others... Read more
CONRAD, Joseph.
The Collected Works. 1925-6
£8,750
The Memorial Edition, the last edition of Conrad's works published during his lifetime. One of a limited edition of 499 sets and very handsomely bound with delicate tooling to the...
23 volumes, octavo. Contemporary brown half morocco, spines gilt in compartments with delicate foliate and star tools, brown cloth sides, marbled endpapers, top edges... Read more
[CLEMENS, Samuel Langhorne] TWAIN, Mark.
The Complete Writings. 1922
£8,750
The Definitive Edition, limited to 1,024 numbered sets, each signed "S L Clemens / Mark Twain". Clemens planned a definitive and complete edition of his works before his death and,...
Octavo. 37 volumes. Finely bound in recent tan half calf with red and green labels, in filled gilt design to spine, raised bands, marbled boards, all edges cut.... Read more
![[The Chronicles of Narnia:]](/content/store/products/1308/2/2470.jpg)
LEWIS, C. S.
[The Chronicles of Narnia:] 1950-1956
£8,750
First Editions, First Impressions. A complete set of the much acclaimed Narnia series. "The immediate inspiration for 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe' was a series of...
7 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full dark blue morocco, titles and decoration to spines gilt, rule to boards gilt, inner dentelles gilt,... Read more
LANG, Andrew (ed.)
Complete Set of Large Paper Fairy Books. 1889–98
£8,500
All Large Paper editions. Limited to 73 / 113 (Blue); 50 / 113 (Red); 140 / 150 (Green); 72 /140 (Yellow); 123 / 150 (Poetry); 53 / 75 (Arabian Nights). Only the first four Fairy...
6 volumes, large octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full morocco (in the respective colours, Poetry in light blue, Arabian Nights in light green), titles... Read more
SHAKESPEARE, William.
The Complete Works, with annotations and a general introduction by Sidney Lee. 1908
£8,500
A very handsome set, printed in London by the University Press.
20 volumes, octavo (211 × 153 mm). Contemporary dark blue morocco, spines gilt in compartments between 5 raised bands, gilt titles in two panels, sides panelled... Read more
