The Woodlanders
( H. MACBETH-RAEBURN, illus. ) HARDY, Thomas
With an Etching by H. Macbeth-Raeburn and a Map of Wessex. [Vol. VII of 'The Wessex Novels'. ]
BRIGHT, CLEAN COPY OF THE FIRST UNIFORM EDITION
Published: Osgood McIlvaine & Co., [1896]
Stock code: 51404
Price: £136.00
8vo., First Edition thus, on laid paper, with etched frontispiece [original tissue guard present)and full-page map of Wessex in the text, tiny contemporary signature on blank preliminary; original decorative green ribbed cloth gilt, 'TH' monogram blocked in gilt on upper cover, gilt back, gilt top, uncut, case with slight lean else a very good, bright, clean, crisp copy.
With the small contemporary trade ticket of Mullan of Belfast on front paste-down. 'Wessex Novels' (1895-6), published by Osgood McIlvaine, 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 'The Country of the Woodlanders') 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. Sheets of the Osgood edition with an altered title-page were published in the USA by Harpers (Osgood's successors). See Purdy, pp.279-282. ALL VOLUMES OF THIS SERIES ARE SCARCE, ESPECIALLY IN THIS CONDITION.