[Rarebooks] Offering: The Kensington edition of Thackeray's Works, 32 volumes in Fine Arts & Crafts Bindings

[Michael John Thompson]

THACKERAY, William Makepeace.

The Kensington Edition of Thackeray's Works
32 Volumes in Fine Arts & Crafts style bindings.

The Works of William Makepeace Thackeray. New York: Charles 
Scribner's Sons, 1903-1904.

Kensington Edition. Thirty-two octavo volumes (5 3/4 x 9 inches). 
Frontispieces, plates, and text illustrations after the originals.

Bound in contemporary three-quarter brown morocco leather over 
marbled paper boards, the spines with 5 raised bands each with a neat 
gilt rule, gilt titles to spines, marbled endpapers; top edges gilt.

NOTE TO THE KENSINGTON EDITION (Volume 1, pp. vii-ix)

The design of the Kensington Edition is to present the works of 
Thackeray as it may be assumed the lovers of Thackeray prefer to see 
them: with the utmost care for correctness of text and convenience of 
arrangement, but without useless or impertinent editorial machinery; 
in a form that permits clearness and beauty of type without 
cumbrousness in the volumes, and that preserves the individual 
characteristics which older readers associate with the original 
editions. All of Thackeray's illustrations are retained, and are 
reproduced from first impressions, both for clearness and to avoid 
tampering of engravers with later plates, evident in many even of the 
earlier sets. Doyle's, Du Maurier's and Fred Walker's drawings have 
also been included, with the same care.

In beginning with the four great novels the edition follows the 
logical tradition of the first complete and revised edition published 
after Thackeray's death; an attempt at a strict chronological 
succession, which would give precedence to minor works, would confuse 
the reader and has only pedantic arguments in its favor. In general, 
the order followed is that of the edition referred to (that of 1869); 
but some slight variations have been made, sometimes for the sake of 
bringing closer together work of the same general kind, sometimes - 
where no important associations were violated - frankly in the 
interest of uniformity in the size of volumes.

It is believed that the inclusion for the first time in this edition 
of the well-known Brookfield Letters will be especially welcome.

The frontispiece to the initial volume is from the drawing by Samuel 
Laurence, perhaps the most satisfactory portrait of Thackeray in his 
prime; and in later volumes other portraits will be given, including 
several unfamiliar photographs.

A few small scratches & scuffs; spines neatly and uniformly slightly 
tanned to a rich and deep, pleasing tone; overall a near fine set, 
crisp and clean, all hinges tight and uncracked. No previous 
ownership marks. Excellent copies of the best edition of Thackeray, 
complete, in fine and distinctively Arts & Crafts style bindings.

$650.00 USD net to all plus postage at cost (which is certainly 
something, as the set weighs circa 200 pounds)


Images are here:

http://www.mjtbooks.com/images/books/thack01.jpg

http://www.mjtbooks.com/images/books/thack02.jpg

http://www.mjtbooks.com/images/books/thack03.jpg

http://www.mjtbooks.com/images/books/thack04.jpg

http://www.mjtbooks.com/images/books/thack05.jpg




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Michael John Thompson
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Hornby Island, BC
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250-335-1182

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