A Group of Noble Dames
( H. MACBETH-RAEBURN, illus. ) HARDY, Thomas
With an Etching by H. Macbeth-Raeburn and a Map of Wessex. [Vol. XV of 'The Wessex Novels'].
BRIGHT, CLEAN COPY OF THE WESSEX NOVELS EDITION
Published: Osgood McIlvaine, [1896]
Stock code: 43778
Price: £112.00
8vo., First Edition thus, on laid paper, with etched frontispiece and full-page map of Wessex in the text, some very light and scattered spotting on endpapers only, small neat contemporary signature on front free endpaper; original decorative green ribbed cloth gilt, 'TH' monogram blocked in gilt on upper cover, gilt back, gilt top, uncut, small crease and indentation in backstrip else a very good, bright, clean copy.
Osgood's 'Wessex Novels' is the the first uniform and complete edition of Hardy's works. Each of the sixteen volumes has an etched frontispiece by Macbeth-Raeburn (depicting a scene from the novel drawn on the spot; in this case 'Kings-Hintock Court in The First Countess of Wessex') and a map of Wessex drawn by Hardy himself. In terms of book production, these are undoubtedly the finest trade editions of Hardy's works; in the case of 'The Group of Noble Dames' plates of the original edition were used. See Purdy, pp.279-282. ALL VOLUMES OF THIS SERIES ARE SCARCE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS CONDITION.