A Catalogue of the Manuscripts in the Cottonian Library, deposited in the British Museum
( BRITISH MUSEUM. COTTONIAN LIBRARY ) PLANTA (comp.), J.
ANTHONY WAGNER'S COPY
Published: Printed by Luke Hansard at Great Turnstile Lincoln's Inn Fields, 1802
Stock code: 3437
Price: £650.00
Folio, First Edition, on laid paper, some minor spotting (mainly marginal) and some light offsetting in the text; mid-nineteenth century half calf, marbled boards with some shelf-scuffing to paper surfaces, sprinkled edges, back tooled in gilt and blind with five raised bands, very neatly rebacked with old backstrip laid down, a very good, clean copy.
THIS COPY WAS FORMERLY IN THE LIBRARY OF SIR ANTHONY WAGNER, ARGUABLY THE TWENTIETH CENTURY'S MOST EMINENT GARTER KING OF ARMS. ITS BEARS HIS SIGNED HOLOGRAPH INSCRIPTION 'Anthony R. Wagner, Portcullis Pursuivant of Arms, 4 Oct 1933' ON FRONT FREE ENDPAPER. In the late eighteenth century, the BM thoroughly revised the previous Cottonian catalogue (Smith, 1696) under the principal editorship of Planta. The mammoth revision was completed in 1800 and published on the instructions of the Royal Commission on public records. It remains the best published catalogue. Joseph Planta (1744-1827) succeeded his father as assistant librarian at the BM in 1773, was promoted to Keeper of Manuscripts in 1776 and finally to Principal Librarian from 1799-1827. See CDNB: III, 1397. Interestingly the printer, Luke Hansard, began printing the 'House of Commons Journal' in 1774; it is commonly known as 'Hansard' to this day. A SPLENDID ASSOCIATION COPY. Gross/Graves, 994.