[Rarebooks] A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE : FRIST ILLUSTRATED EDITION.

[Michelle Palmer]

Green, J. R., M.A. (1837–83) ; Edited by Mrs. J. R. Green and
Miss Kate Norgate  

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH PEOPLE : ILLUSTRATED EDITION.  

London: Macmillan & Company, Ltd., 1892-94.
First Illustrated Edition, First Printing.

This is the First Illustrated Edition, published over the years 1892
to 1894. John Richard Green, educated at Oxford (Magdalen School and
Jesus College), and sometime Vicar of St. Philips, Stepney, became in
1869 the librarian at Lambeth. One year later he was diagnosed with
an ultimately fatal illness, Tuberculosis, and only lived to see
completion of two distinct portions of his expanded 'Short History',
initially published in 1874, entitled respectively 'The Making of
England' and 'The Conquest of England'.

The expanded edition, first issued without the illustrations in this
edition, was published in 1877-80, with this fully expanded and
illustrated edition being published in 1892-94 with the aid of
Mrs. Green and Miss Kate Norgate. It had been one of Mr. Greens final
wishes that Mrs. Green complete this edition, showing the reader how
"men and things appeared to the lookers-on in their own day, and how
contemporary observers aimed at representing them."

A very popular history of the social, political, economic, as well as
literary and artistic, life of the English people. Reprinted in various
incarnations before, and since, this, the first illustrated edition, is
considered the best of the lot. Each volume is profusely illustrated in
black-and-white from engravings, wood-cuts, and drawings of famous people,
places, documents, maps, works of art, religious works, and various other
objects (including arms and armor), as well as a number of full-page color
plates and maps, several of the former illuminated. All color plates printed
on one side only.

The books begin with several pages of 'Notes On The Illustrations', giving
the page number, identification, and background of each illustration and map.
Each volume, with the exception of Vol. II (none called for), has a frontis-
piece as follows: Volume I-Portrait engraving of J. R. Green; Vol. III- a 24"
fold-out of "Old London Bridge, c. A.D. 1600, reproduced from a photo-
chromolithograph made for the New Shakespeare Society from a drawing in
Pepys Collection at Magdalene College, Cambridge. This is believed to be the
earliest known view of London Bridge; Vol. IV- color map of London and the
Suburbs (from Loftie, "History of London"). Volume IV ends with the Chrono-
logical Annals of English History, 449-1016 AD, followed by Genealogical
Tables, and the Index. A total of 1,906 pages over four volumes, and probably
the most readable history of early Great Britain ever written.

Note: the following list of defects is very detailed, but please note
that damage varies by volume, and the text and illustrations are still
quite nice, particularly the fold-outs, color, and illuminated
illustrations.

Hardcover; Four Volume Set. 6-7/8" x 10"; 1906 pp.; Good+ to Very Good.
Brown leather spines, likely sunned, as edges closer to boards appear a
deep green, with gold-stamped ruled decorative panels consisting of a 3"
elaborately decorated shield design containing title and author between two
raised bands, and a 4.25" bordered panel with an alternating design of small
gold stamping between second and third band; volume number in gilt between
panel and third band.

Case-bound boards with strong hinges, wrapped in grained dark green cloth
with blind-stamped border and marbled page edge; colored end-papers. The
leather on the spine is quite rubbed at the head and foot, with lesser, but
still apparent rubbing along the joints of the spine. The leather is still
quite sound, and most of the gilt ruling on the spine ends is still present,
but the surface grain is rubbed in this area, with short splits at the
head of Volumes I & IV, and a larger tear at the foot of Volume III, just
under 1/2", with a tiny bit of loss. The tips of the boards have some mild
wear, except for Vol. II, which has a 1/4" split on bottom edge of upper
board.

All lettering and decoration is still bright and clear. Volumes I and IV
have a few mild spots of scuffing to boards (likely silverfish on Vol. IV);
top edge is dust soiled on all four volumes. There is damp staining to the
bottom edge of paper surface on Volumes II and III, reaching to the edge
of text or illustration in some areas, with concomitant rippling of same,
and lesser evidence of high humidity at top edge of Vol. IV.

Very mild foxing scattered throughout, but seldom affecting plates or
in-text illustrations, and no evidence on color plates. When I first
examined this set, I noted light mildew in a number of these areas, and
discovered that wiping away this residue revealed more 'foxing', and all
of the pages have some degree of rippling, very mild in Volumes I &
IV, so the set has definitely been exposed to an unhealthy level of
humidity at some point. However, since cleaning the pages some months
ago there has been no recurrence.

Bookbinders ticket on lower left front pastedown of each volume, "Bound
by Birdsall & Son, Northampton". Rear boards have blind-stamp on lower
edge: "Patent Split Case Binding". Birdsall & Son practised some of the most
diverse and advanced binding methods for their time. This particular type of
case-binding has a rounded spine and deep hinges, which were designed for
durability. As this title was often used by scholars, and in school settings
(although not this particular copy), the binding was most suitable.
Category: History-British. (3215)


$125.00



Photos or additional information cheerfully supplied on request.

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