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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Memoirs. View Details Add to Wishlist

ADAMS, John Quincy.

Memoirs. 1874-1877

£3,500

First editions, first printings. Adams was the son of the second President of the United States of America. He, himself served as Secretary of State before becoming the sixth...

12 volumes, octavo. Recent brown morocco, twin morocco labels burgundy and dark green, decoration to spines, single roll to boards, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt,... Read more

Shakespearean Playhouses. View Details Add to Wishlist

ADAMS, Joseph Quincy.

Shakespearean Playhouses. c.1920

£125

Octavo (200 ×138 mm). Contemporary crimson half morocco, titles and decoration to spine, raised bands, matching cloth boards, plain endpapers, top edge gilt. With a folding map...

Octavo (200 ×138 mm). Contemporary crimson half morocco, titles and decoration to spine, raised bands, matching cloth boards, plain endpapers, top edge gilt. With... Read more

The Miscellaneous Works in Verse and Prose. View Details Add to Wishlist

ADDISON, Joseph.

The Miscellaneous Works in Verse and Prose. 1765

£210

4 volumes, octavo. Contemporary full dark tan calf, black and crimson morocco title labels, raised bands, title and floral decoration to spine gilt, raised bands, rule to boards...

4 volumes, octavo. Contemporary full dark tan calf, black and crimson morocco title labels, raised bands, title and floral decoration to spine gilt, raised bands, rule... Read more

The Spectator. View Details Add to Wishlist

[ADDISON, Joseph, & Richard Steele]

The Spectator. 1776

£375

A later edition of one of the first British periodicals, it was published daily in 1711 and 1712. Appealling to the growing numbers of middle class traders and shop keepers in...

8 volumes, octavo (171 × 100 mm). Contemporary tan calf, spines elaborately gilt in compartments, red and green labels. Engraved frontispieces to each volume.... Read more

The Spectator. View Details Add to Wishlist

[ADDISON, Joseph, & Richard Steele]

The Spectator. 1712

£750

An early set of The Spectator in an attractive period calf binding. The Spectator was one of the first British periodicals, originally published daily in 1711 and 1712. Appealing to...

8 volumes, octavo (194 × 122 mm). Contemporary pale calf, titles and elaborate decoration to spines, raised bands, panelled boards, marbled endpapers. Bookplate... Read more

The Spectator [together with] The Tatler. View Details Add to Wishlist

[ADDISON, Joseph; Richard Steele; & others].

The Spectator [together with] The Tatler. 1793 & 1797

£500

A nice set of the leading 18th-century English periodicals. The Spectator comprises eight volumes, The Tatler four.

12 volumes, octavo (204 × 125 mm). Contemporary tan quarter calf, burgundy and black morocco labels, decoration to boards in blind with gilt rules to bands,... Read more

The Song of the Stewarts. Prelude. View Details Add to Wishlist

AINSLIE, Douglas.

The Song of the Stewarts. Prelude. 1909

£45

First edition, first impression.

Octavo (221 × 137 mm). Contemporary japon backed blue cloth, green morocco label, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Binding lightly rubbed with wear at the top... Read more

The Novels. View Details Add to Wishlist

AINSWORTH, William Harrison.

The Novels. c.1890

£750

An excellent set handsomely bound.

16 volumes, octavo (227 × 135). Contemporary dark blue half morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, blue cloth boards and endpapers, top edges... Read more

The Novels. View Details Add to Wishlist

AINSWORTH, William Harrison.

The Novels. 1881

£1,250

A very handsomely bound set of the novels of Ainsworth.

28 volumes, octavo (180 × 115 mm). Contemporary red half morocco, spines gilt in compartments, marbled sides, endpapers, and edges. Engravings throughout.... Read more

History of Europe. View Details Add to Wishlist

ALISON, Archibald.

History of Europe. 1853–54

£500

Ninth edition.

13 volumes, octavo (182 × 117 mm). Contemporary brown half calf, spines gilt in compartments, brown and green morocco labels, purple sides, green endpapers, red... Read more

Rider's British Merlin: For the Year of our Lord God 1767. View Details Add to Wishlist

(ALMANAC)

Rider's British Merlin: For the Year of our Lord God 1767. 1767

£500

Rider's British Merlin was a very popular almanac, first published in 1656 and continuing annually until the nineteenth century. Cardanus Rider is often said, though probably...

Duodecimo (132 × 77 mm). Contemporary red morocco, gilt panel spine with saltire design, covers tooled in gilt all over to a cottage-roof design, Dutch floral... Read more

or the Mathematical Repository; an Almanack for the Year of our Lord 1804 [1805] [1810] [1813] [1814] [1815] [1816] [1820] [1824] [1825] [1826] [1828]. View Details Add to Wishlist

(ALMANACK) THE GENTLEMAN’S DIARY,

or the Mathematical Repository; an Almanack for the Year of our Lord 1804 [1805] [1810] [1813] [1814] [1815] [1816] [1820] [1824] [1825] [1826] [1828]. 1804–28

£1,200

A most attractive collection, each volume containing 6 different almanacs for the above years, viz. The Gentleman's Diary; Vox Stellarum: or, a Loyal Almanack by Francis Moore; Old...

12 volumes, 16mo, 168 × 99mm. Bound in full contemporary straight-grained red morocco, gilt, bands, borders and edges, marbled endpapers. Very good throughout. Read more

La Turquie. Son Gouvernement et ses Armées pendant la Guerre d'Orient. View Details Add to Wishlist

ALMAZAN, Emmanuel Louis Marie Guignard, vicomte de Saint-Priest, duc d'.

La Turquie. Son Gouvernement et ses Armées pendant la Guerre d'Orient. 1860

£475

Originally published as a two-part article in the Revue des Deux Mondes, this is essentially a detailed study of the fall of Kars. Almazan had served with the Russian army in the...

Octavo (237 × 151 mm) Contemporary red pebble-grain morocco from the library of Henry V de France, duc de Bordeaux, comte de Chambord, title gilt to spine, raised... Read more

Lucky Jim. View Details Add to Wishlist

AMIS, Kingsley.

Lucky Jim. 1953

£1,375

First Edition, First Impression. Author's cut signature to front free endpaper.

Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full green morocco, titles and box design to spine gilt, rule to boards gilt, inner dentelles gilt, marbled endpapers,... Read more

Lucky Jim. View Details Add to Wishlist

AMIS, Kingsley.

Lucky Jim. 1953

£875

First Edition, First Impression.

Octavo. Finely bound by Sangorski and Sutcliffe in full crimson morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, raised bands, single rule to boards gilt, twin rule to... Read more

The Sand-Hills of Jutland. View Details Add to Wishlist

ANDERSON, Hans Christian.

The Sand-Hills of Jutland. 1860

£175

First English language edition, scarce.

Octavo (192 × 120 mm). Early 20th-century red half morocco, spine gilt in compartments, red cloth sides, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. Binding lightly... Read more

[Oriental romances; a collection of his fictional works in first edition.] View Details Add to Wishlist

(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

A plain and literal translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments. View Details Add to Wishlist

(ARABIAN NIGHTS) BURTON, Richard F.

A plain and literal translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments. [c. 1900]

£2,100

The Luristan edition. Printed by The Burton Club for subscribers only. Limited to 1,000 sets of which this is number 613.

17 volumes, octavo. Finely bound in recent half navy blue oasis, with red leather lettering labels, gilt devices between each raised band, marbled sides, top edge... Read more

A plain and literal translation of the Arabian Nights' entertainments, View Details Add to Wishlist

(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

A plain and literal translation of the Arabian Nights' entertainments, View Details Add to Wishlist

(ARABIAN NIGHTS) BURTON, Richard F.

A plain and literal translation of the Arabian Nights' entertainments, [c. 1900]

£2,500

The Samara Edition. Printed by The Burton Club for subscribers only. Limited to 1,000 sets of which this is number 653.

17 volumes, octavo. Recent navy blue half morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, raised bands, cloth boards, top edge gilt. Frontispiece and illustrations... Read more

A plain and literal translation of the Arabian Nights' entertainments, View Details Add to Wishlist

(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

The Thousand and One Nights, View Details Add to Wishlist

(ARABIAN NIGHTS) LANE, Edward William.

The Thousand and One Nights, 1841

£350

An attractive library set.

3 volumes, large octavo (240 × 145 mm). Contemporary red half morocco, spines gilt in compartments, red cloth sides, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt. Engravings... Read more

The Thousand and One Nights, View Details Add to Wishlist

(ARABIAN NIGHTS) LANE, Edward William.

The Thousand and One Nights, 1877

£375

A handsome library set.

3 volumes, octavo (217 × 138 mm). Contemporary pebble-grained burgundy morocco, titles to spines, coats of arms blocked to boards, twin rule to turn-ins, cream... Read more

The Poems. Translated by H. B. Mccaskie. Illustrated by Edward Ardizzone. View Details Add to Wishlist

(ARDIZZONE, Edward) VILLON, François.

The Poems. Translated by H. B. Mccaskie. Illustrated by Edward Ardizzone. 1946

£150

First Ardizzone edition. The author was a 15th-century French poet and vagabond whose works mimicked the courtly romances but celebrated the darker aspects of medieval society.

Octavo (215 × 135 mm). Finely bound by Zaehnsdorf in turquoise morocco, titles to spine, top edge, and inner dentelles gilt, marbled endpapers. Frontispiece and... Read more

Aristotle's Politics. View Details Add to Wishlist

(ARISTOTLE) Ellis, William.

Aristotle's Politics. [c.1890]

£45

Sir John Lubbock's hundred books.

Octavo (184 × 120 mm). Original burgundy pebble-grained half morocco, titles and decoration to spine, raised bands, marbled boards and endpapers, top edge gilt.... Read more