[Travel & Exploration] Bell's Edition: The Poets of Great Britain Complete from Chaucer to Churchill Edinburg: Apollo Press, 1776-82. In 109 volumes. First edition. 12mo. Each volume illustrated with an engraved title-page, numerous volumes with engraved frontispiece portraits of the authors. Full contemporary tree calf, stamped in gilt, red morocco spine labels; edges stained yellow; marbled endpapers. Housed in two original exquisite full tree calf traveling library cases resembling stacked folio books, stamped in blind and in gilt, red morocco spine labels, lightly rubbed and worn; marbled edges with matching interior marbling, and green cloth lining (marbling faded but matches that of the individual volumes); original ad for this set, as well as one for Bell's British Theatre, mounted on lid of each case respectively; sliding compartments on spines contain hidden locking mechanism, original key included. From the library of Melicent Ballard, and with her charming 18th-century engraved pictorial book-plate on front paste-down of all 109 volumes (included in "Ladies' Book-plates" by Norna Labouchere, 1895). A rare, and remarkably well preserved, set of English publisher John Bell's "Poets of Great Britain", complete in their two original traveling library cases resembling four folio volumes. From a 1784 ad for this set: "Two Cases are constructed in the shape and appearance of two folio volumes, which contain the whole of this great collection, and are well adapted for travelling in the seat of a post chaise, or for library furniture." (p. 125, Bonnell. The Most Disreputable Trade: Publishing the Classics of English Poetry 1765-1810).
[Travel & Exploration] Bell's Edition: The Poets of Great Britain Complete from Chaucer to Churchill Edinburg: Apollo Press, 1776-82. In 109 volumes. First edition. 12mo. Each volume illustrated with an engraved title-page, numerous volumes with engraved frontispiece portraits of the authors. Full contemporary tree calf, stamped in gilt, red morocco spine labels; edges stained yellow; marbled endpapers. Housed in two original exquisite full tree calf traveling library cases resembling stacked folio books, stamped in blind and in gilt, red morocco spine labels, lightly rubbed and worn; marbled edges with matching interior marbling, and green cloth lining (marbling faded but matches that of the individual volumes); original ad for this set, as well as one for Bell's British Theatre, mounted on lid of each case respectively; sliding compartments on spines contain hidden locking mechanism, original key included. From the library of Melicent Ballard, and with her charming 18th-century engraved pictorial book-plate on front paste-down of all 109 volumes (included in "Ladies' Book-plates" by Norna Labouchere, 1895). A rare, and remarkably well preserved, set of English publisher John Bell's "Poets of Great Britain", complete in their two original traveling library cases resembling four folio volumes. From a 1784 ad for this set: "Two Cases are constructed in the shape and appearance of two folio volumes, which contain the whole of this great collection, and are well adapted for travelling in the seat of a post chaise, or for library furniture." (p. 125, Bonnell. The Most Disreputable Trade: Publishing the Classics of English Poetry 1765-1810).
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
