Austen, Jane
Rare books by Jane Austen, including first editions, copies in fine bindings, and handsome sets of her collected works.
Jane Austen is one of England’s most revered writers, known
for her witty novels of manners. Four of her full-length novels were published
during her lifetime in three-volume format, beginning with Sense and Sensibility in 1811. Northanger
Abbey and Persuasion were
published posthumously together in four volumes 1818. Austen’s earlier novels
had been financially successful, but sales of the final two trailed off. Her
books remained out of print for 12 years until publisher Richard Bentley purchased
the rights and issued the first inexpensive, single-volume illustrated editions.
Austen remained a relatively marginal author until the publication of her
nephew’s Memoir of Jane Austen in
1869, which renewed interest in her books and led to increasingly serious
literary analysis of her work. In the 1890s, collected editions, many of them
illustrated, began to appear. Today her first editions, the Bentley editions,
and the later collected editions are all highly sought-after by collectors.
Read our blog entry By A Lady: First Editions of the Novels of Jane Austen
AUSTEN, Jane.
Sense and Sensibility: a novel. In three volumes. By a Lady. 1811
£100,000
First edition of Jane Austen's first published novel, scarce thus in the original boards, and with a distinguished provenance. From the libraries of Sir John Shelley, 6th Baronet...
3 volumes, duodecimo. Uncut in the original publisher's boards, original pink paper labels on spines, skilfully rebacked preserving most of the original spines.... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
Complete set of Illustrations for Jane Austen's "Emma". 1909
£60,000
The original 23 signed illustrations, and one title page, for the "Emma" published in 1909 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The costume and interior...
24 sheets (348 × 247 mm) of pen-and-ink watercolour illustrations, each in a wash-line mount. Some light marks to margins (often by the artist) throughout the... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
Sense and Sensibility: a novel. In three volumes. By a Lady. 1811
£27,500
First edition of the author's first published novel. Begun in the mid-1790s, Sense and Sensibility, like Pride and Prejudice, went through two versions before publication, but the...
3 volumes, duodecimo (172 ×100 mm). Contemporary black half calf, marbled boards, recently rebacked to style with spines gilt in compartments. Corners and edges... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
Mansfield Park: 1814
£27,500
First edition, complete with the half-titles which were habitually discarded by Regency binders. The third of Jane Austen's novels to be published was begun about the same time Sense...
3 volumes, duodecimo. Contemporary half calf, smooth spines gilt-lettered direct, compartments decorated in blind, gilt rules, marbled paper sides, endpapers and... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
Emma: A Novel. 1816
£15,000
First edition of perhaps the most perfectly constructed of Jane Austen's novels. She had fallen out with Egerton over publication of Mansfield Park and transferred to Murray, who...
3 volumes, 12mo (168 × 102 mm). Contemporary mottled calf, neatly rebacked to Regency style, covers with gilt scroll borders, marbled endpapers, sprinkled edges,... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
Mansfield Park: A Novel. 1814
£13,500
First edition. The third of Jane Austen's novels to be published was begun about the same time Sense and Sensibility was accepted for publication. The novel was published in May 1814...
3 volumes, octavo (180 × 100 mm). 20th-century blue half calf, spines gilt in compartments, marbled sides, brown endpapers, red speckled edges. Housed in a black... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
Emma: A Novel. In Three Volumes. 1816
£12,500
First edition of perhaps the most perfectly constructed of Jane Austen's novels. She had fallen out with Egerton over publication of Mansfield Park and transferred to Murray, who...
3 volumes, octavo (170 × 100 mm). Bound without half titles in contemporary black half calf, spines gilt in compartments, marbled sides. Housed in a dark blue... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
Sense And Sensibility; Pride and Prejudice; Emma; Mansfield Park; Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. 1833
£7,500
First collected edition. Published by Bentley in his Standard Novels series. Each of these is the first one-volume edition and the group as a whole constitutes the first collected...
5 volumes, octavo. Recent brown half calf, green morocco label, centre tool to spines in compartments, marbled boards, off-white endpapers. Engraved frontispiece and... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
The novels and letters. 1906
£6,000
Stoneleigh edition. Limited to 1,250 numbered sets.
12 volumes, octavo (207 × 136 mm). Contemporary green half morocco, titles and decoration to spines, raised bands, marbled boards and endpapers, top edges gilt,... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
The Novels. 1911
£5,750
The Winchester edition; considered the most attractive of the unillustrated editions of Jane Austen's works produced around this time. In this enlarged issue, the set has two...
12 volumes, octavo (205 × 136 mm). Finely bound by Bumpus Ltd in green half calf, titles and elaborate decoration to spines separated by raised bands, green cloth... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
Mansfield Park: A Novel. 1816
£4,750
Second edition.
3 volumes, octavo (175 × 100 mm). Contemporary black half morocco, spines gilt in compartments, marbled sides, speckled edges. Boards rubbed, wear to corners,... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
The Novels. 1923
£3,750
Large paper edition. Limited to 1,000 sets of which 950 are for sale.
7 volumes, octavo. Recent tan morocco, double morocco labels burgundy and green, decoration to spines, single rules to boards, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt,... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
"Come, Darcy", said he, "I must have you dance." 1907
£3,700
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame, with conservation glass and an attractive wash-line mount.... Read more
AUSTEN, Jane.
The Novels. 1911-12
£3,500
The Winchester edition; considered the most attractive of the unillustrated editions of Jane Austen's works produced around this time. In this enlarged issue, the set has two...
12 volumes, octavo. Recent tan morocco, double morocco labels burgundy and green, decoration to spines, roll to boards, marbled endpapers, top edges gilt, others... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
"Will you do me the honour of reading that letter?" 1907
£3,500
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame with conservation glass and an attractive wash-line mount.... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
"Lizzy," said he ... "are you out of your senses to be accepting this man?" 1907
£3,500
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame, with conservation glass and in an attractive wash-line... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
"You must allow me to present this young lady to you as a very desirable partner." 1907
£3,250
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame, with conservation glass and an attractive wash-line mount.... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
They solaced their wretchedness by duets after supper. 1907
£3,250
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame, with conservation glass and in an attractive wash-line... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
"Well, Jane, who is it from? What is it about?" 1907
£3,250
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame, with conservation glass and in an attractive wash-line... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
Oh! how heartily did she grieve ...... over every saucy speech she had ever directed towards him. 1907
£3,250
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame, with conservation glass and an attractive wash-line mount.... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
"My dear Mr. Bennet, how can you be so tiresome!" 1907
£3,250
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame, with conservation glass and with an attractive wash-line... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
"I am persuaded ........... my proposals will not fail of being acceptable." 1907
£3,250
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame, with conservation glass and in an attractive wash-line... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
"I think him very disagreeable." 1907
£3,250
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame, with conservation glass and in an attractive wash-line... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
"Oh, papa, what news - what news?" 1907
£3,250
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in a hand made gold leaf frame, with conservation glass and in an attractive wash-line... Read more
(AUSTEN, Jane) BROCK, C. E.
"Excuse my interference: it was kindly meant." 1907
£3,000
The original signed illustration for the "Pride and Prejudice" published in 1907 as part of the "Series of English Idylls" by J. M. Dent & Co. The illustrations Brock created are a...
Original pen-and-ink water colour illustration (370 × 267 mm) presented in an attractive conservation wash-line mount. Margins slightly marked. In excellent... Read more
