40
129. GarriCK, david. the Poetical Works of David garrick now first collected in two Volumes With explanatory notes. Printed for George Kearsley. 1785.
£998
8vo., 2 volumes in contemporary full polished calf, spines gilt with contrasting leather labels. Joints a little tender, offsetting from binding onto the first and last few leaves, otherwise a very good set.
First collected edition. From the libraries of Mathew Wilson and his granddaughter
richardson currer with
Frances Mary their
bookplates in each volume. also signed in each volume by Margaret clive Wilson.
“Frances Mary richardson currer (1785–1861), book collector, was born on 3 March 1785 at eshton hall, near gargrave, in the West riding of Yorkshire. she was the posthumous daughter and sole heir of the revd henry richardson (1758–1784) who, shortly before his
death, took the name of currer on succeeding to the estates of sarah currer. her mother was Margaret clive Wilson, the only surviving child and heir of Matthew Wilson of eshton hall; she was a niece of clive of india.
‘she is’, wrote Mrs Dorothy richardson in 1815: “in possession of both the richardson and currer estates and inherits all the taste of the former family, having collected a very large and valuable library, and also possessing a fine collection of prints, shells, and fossils, in addition to what were collected by her great grandfather and great-uncle”. (nichols, 252)
t. F. Dibdin considered that currer’s collection placed her ‘at the head of all female collectors in europe’ (reminiscences, 2.949) and that her country house library was, in its day, surpassed only by those of earl spencer, the duke of Devonshire, and the duke of Buckingham. seymour De ricci wrote that she was ‘england’s earliest female bibliophile’ (De ricci, 141).
currer has been described as extremely accomplished and amiable. in a letter to Dawson turner in 1837 Dibdin wrote: ‘she has a heart as big as st Paul’s Dome and as warm as Volcanic lava, but this is acted upon strangely and capriciously at times’; he went on: ‘she can show an indifference or niggardliness of feeling, which is utterly unaccountable’ (Dawson turner Mss). currer had been a generous patron of Dibdin from early days, and his expectations may have risen too high at times.
Frances currer was shy, and her deafness, which increased with age, explains her somewhat secluded life at eshton hall. But she was not a recluse, being ‘renowned for her generosity to all kinds of charities’ (Barker, 105), which included the Keighley Mechanics’ institution and the new school at cowan Bridge, attended by the Brontë sisters. it is probable that she was the ‘wealthy lady in the West riding of Yorkshire’ who gave £50 in 1821 to help pay the debts of the newly widowed Patrick Brontë (Barker, 105). charlotte Brontë used her surname for her pseudonym, currer Bell.” (oxford DnB).
130.Gentleman, david (author and illustrator). Fenella in the south of France. London; Jonathan Cape.1967.
£148
small square 8vo. original pictorial boards with wrap-around design, preserved in repeat dustwrapper; pp. [16]; illustrated throughout in colour on every page; a very clean copy indeed preserved in an excellent panoramic, unclipped, dustwrapper with very minor rubbing to top edge; scarce.
First edition. signed by david Gentleman to the front free endpaper in black ink.
131. GiBBinGs, robert (illustrator). Patience emPson (editor). thomas Balston (introduction by). the Wood engravings of robert gibbings, with some recollections by the artist. London; J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd. 1959.
£398
4to. sometime finely, and handsomely, bound in full mid-blue morocco, single-line gilt panel to boards enclosing, on the upper cover, a neat roundel with the initials “Mt” in gilt, spine with 5 raised bands, panelled and lettered direct in gilt, top edge gilt, by Bumpus; pp. [xliv] + 355; a fine tinted wood-engraved frontispiece printed on tissue together with hundreds of bold and striking wood-engraved illustrations throughout, printed several to a page or full-page, in dense black inks; a near fine copy with a little gentle sun-lightening to spine and a few small speckles to edge of book block.
First edition. a glorious compendium of the work of this popular wood-engraver.
132. GoldsmitH, oliver. the Miscellaneous Works of oliver goldsmith. John Murray, 1837.
£498
8vo (4 volumes). half red morocco over marbled boards, spine gilt in compartments, lettered directly in two in gilt, others with gilt floral design, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled; engraved additional titles; a very handsome set.
130 131
132
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96