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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Vikram and the Vampire. View Details Add to Wishlist

BURTON, Richard F.

Vikram and the Vampire. 1870

£1,750

First edition, first impression.

Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in burgundy morocco, titles and decoration to spine, raised bands, single rule to boards, twin rule to turn-ins, dark green... Read more

The Way of All Flesh. Illustrated with wood engravings by John Farleigh. View Details Add to Wishlist

BUTLER, Samuel.

The Way of All Flesh. Illustrated with wood engravings by John Farleigh. 1934

£500

A fine binding for this attractive edition of Butler's major novel, first published posthumously in 1902, a powerful autobiographical work recording his pained and satirical dissent...

Octavo (180 × 130 mm). Bound by Bayntun in dark red polished calf, blue and green morocco labels, spine gilt in compartments, covers with twin gilt rules, inner... Read more

Byron's Life and Works. View Details Add to Wishlist

BYRON, Lord.

Byron's Life and Works. 1832–4

£875

17 volumes, small octavo. Bound in half tan calf, two black labels, gilt titles and decoration to spine, grey endpapers, marbled boards. Spines slightly worn with some cracking,...

17 volumes, small octavo. Bound in half tan calf, two black labels, gilt titles and decoration to spine, grey endpapers, marbled boards. Spines slightly worn with... Read more

The Poetical Works. View Details Add to Wishlist

BYRON, Lord.

The Poetical Works. 1875

£95

Part of Nimmo's Popular Poets. A handsomely bound copy of Byron's poetry.

Octavo (164 × 105 mm). Contemporary blue half calf, burgundy morocco label, elaborate tooling to spine in compartments, raised bands, marbled boards, endpapers... Read more

The Works. View Details Add to Wishlist

BYRON, Lord.

The Works. 1823

£300

An attractive set in excellent condition.

5 volumes, small octavo (160 mm × 100 mm). Contemporary green calf, titles and elaborate decoration to spines, raised bands, roll to boards gilt and in blind,... Read more

The Works. View Details Add to Wishlist

BYRON, Lord.

The Works. 1831

£275

An attractive set of Byron's works.

6 volumes, small octavo (134 × 85 mm). Contemporary blue half morocco, titles and elaborate decoration to spines, raised bands, marbled boards, endpapers and... Read more

The Works. View Details Add to Wishlist

BYRON, Lord.

The Works. [c. 1850]

£475

A handsomely bound copy of Byron's works.

2 volumes, octavo (250 × 161 mm). Contemporary red half morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, matching pebble-grained boards, marbled endpapers,... Read more

Letters and Journals of Lord Byron: View Details Add to Wishlist

(BYRON, Lord) MOORE, Thomas.

Letters and Journals of Lord Byron: 1831

£60

First published by John Murray in 1830.

Octavo (222 × 140 mm). Contemporary green half calf, brown morocco label, decoration to spine in compartments, raised bands, marbled boards, endpapers and edges.... Read more

The Road to Oxiana. View Details Add to Wishlist

BYRON, Robert.

The Road to Oxiana. 1937

£1,375

First Edition, First Impression of Byron's masterpiece.

Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full dark blue morocco, titles and decoration to spine gilt, rule to boards gilt, inner dentelles gilt, marbled... Read more

The Postman Always Rings Twice. View Details Add to Wishlist

CAIN, James M.

The Postman Always Rings Twice. 1934

£1,250

First UK Edition, First Impression.

Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in full black morocco, titles to spine gilt, inner dentelles gilt, black coated endpapers, all edges gilt. A fine copy. Read more

Pleasures of Hope, Gertrude of Wyoming, and Other Poems. View Details Add to Wishlist

CAMPBELL, Thomas.

Pleasures of Hope, Gertrude of Wyoming, and Other Poems. 1852

£45

A nicely bound volume.

Small octavo (132 × 80 mm). Contemporary brown morocco, spine gilt in compartments, yellow coated endpapers, panelling to boards, turn-ins, and all edges gilt.... Read more

The Outsider. View Details Add to Wishlist

CAMUS, Albert.

The Outsider. 1946

£1,250

First UK Edition.

Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in bright blue morocco, titles and decoration to spine, two raised bands, single rule to boards, twin rule to turn-ins,... Read more

Breakfast at Tiffany's. View Details Add to Wishlist

CAPOTE, Truman.

Breakfast at Tiffany's. 1958

£2,750

First edition, first printing.

Octavo. Finely bound by The Chelsea Bindery in pink morocco, black morocco title label, title to spine silver, black leather onlay silhouette of Audrey Hepburn as... Read more

No Image Available View Details Add to Wishlist

CARLYLE, Thomas.

Sartor Resartus: [and] On Heroes, Hero-Worship and The Heroic in History. 1831 & 1840

£45

Sartor Resartus is the forty-fifth thousand of this edition and On Heroes, Hero-Worship and The Heroic in History is a first edition.

2 volumes bound in 1, octavo (162 × 112 mm). Contemporary tan calf, black morocco label, elaborate decoration to spine, raised bands, rules to boards with... Read more

The Collected Works. View Details Add to Wishlist

CARLYLE, Thomas.

The Collected Works. 1887–93

£3,950

34 volumes, octavo (219 × 140 mm). Finely bound for Hatchards in dark purplish-brown half morocco, spines lettered in gilt in two compartments and dated at foot, attractive gilt...

34 volumes, octavo (219 × 140 mm). Finely bound for Hatchards in dark purplish-brown half morocco, spines lettered in gilt in two compartments and dated at foot,... Read more

The Complete Works. View Details Add to Wishlist

CARLYLE, Thomas.

The Complete Works. 1885

£1,950

20 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by Dawson Brothers in full green calf, with twin red labels, gilt title and decoration on spine. Raised bands. Gilt double rule on boards. Inner...

20 volumes, octavo. Finely bound by Dawson Brothers in full green calf, with twin red labels, gilt title and decoration on spine. Raised bands. Gilt double rule on... Read more

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland [and] Through The Looking-Glass. View Details Add to Wishlist

CARROLL, Lewis.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland [and] Through The Looking-Glass. 1932

£750

One hundred and eighty-sixth thousand. A handsomely bound copy.

Octavo, 2 volumes bound in 1 (181 × 120 mm). Finely bound in green calf, titles and elaborate decoration to spine in compartments separated by raised band, titles... Read more

The Scots Week-End. View Details Add to Wishlist

CARSWELL, Donald & Catherine (eds.)

The Scots Week-End. 1936

£45

First edition. Includes poems by John Buchan and Robert Burns as well as chapters on various Scottish interests from dancing to outdoor games.

Octavo (185 × 119 mm). Contemporary green morocco, brown morocco label with twin rule surround, cream endpapers, green stained edges. With black and white... Read more

The Works. View Details Add to Wishlist

CATHER, Willa Sibert.

The Works. 1937–41

£3,750

The Autograph Edition. Accompanying this set is the original prospectus and a rep's dummy (or "blad") of the first volume, in the same binding, with the first gathering only and...

14 volumes, octavo, with prospectus and dummy (see below). Original cream linen-backed blue cloth, monogram to boards gilt, black morocco title label to spines gilt,... Read more

North American Indians. View Details Add to Wishlist

CATLIN, George.

North American Indians. 1876

£3,500

First edition to be printed in colour of Catlin's classic work. George Catlin (1796-1872), spent many years among the Indians in North and South America. He lived with them, acquired...

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

The Gentleman's Magazine: or, Monthly Intelligencer. View Details Add to Wishlist

[CAVE, Edward, (ed.)]

The Gentleman's Magazine: or, Monthly Intelligencer. 1731–1814

£17,500

An excellent run from the first volume onwards of the work that gave birth to one of the major publishing forms of the modern era, the magazine. "It began modestly as a digest of...

116 volumes, octavo. Late 18th- and early 19th-century calf, sides ruled with a double gilt fillet, smooth spines with gilt centre-tools, red morocco lettering-pieces,... Read more

Don Quixote de La Mancha. View Details Add to Wishlist

[CERVANTES SAAVEDRA, Miguel de.]

Don Quixote de La Mancha. 1819

£1,500

First edition thus, with amusing aquatints by Clark, of the celebrated translation of Don Quixote by the Irish-born Charles Jervas (1675–1739), a member of the literary circle...

4 volumes, octavo (210 × 130 mm). Contemporary red straight-grain morocco, spines elaborately gilt in compartments, double-line ruling and decorative rolls to... Read more

Don Quixote de La Mancha. View Details Add to Wishlist

[CERVANTES SAAVEDRA, Miguel de.]

Don Quixote de La Mancha. 1820

£750

First Westall edition. Richard Westall (1765–1836) was an important painter and illustrator who also served for nine years as drawing master to Princess Victoria. Today he is...

4 volumes, octavo (160 × 100 mm). Contemporary purple straight-grain morocco, spines gilt in compartments, red morocco labels, gilt rolls to boards. Engraved... Read more

Don Quixote de La Mancha. View Details Add to Wishlist

[CERVANTES SAAVEDRA, Miguel de.]

Don Quixote de La Mancha. 1902

£800

A very handsomely bound and illustrated set of Don Quixote. P. A. Motteux (1663–1718) was a translator, dramatist, and editor of The Gentleman's Journal. His greatest successes...

4 volumes, large octavo (227 × 145 mm). Contemporary tan half calf by Bayntun, spines gilt in compartments, tan morocco labels and cloth sides, marbled endpapers,... Read more

The History of the Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. View Details Add to Wishlist

[CERVANTES SAAVEDRA, Miguel de.]

The History of the Ingenious Gentleman Don Quixote of La Mancha. 1879

£1,500

A handsomely bound set of Cervantes.

4 volumes, tall octavo (240 0215 155 mm). 20th-century pink half morocco for J. W. Robinson by Sangorski & Sutcliffe, spines gilt in compartments, patterned sides and... Read more