1879 Burlesques by William M. Thackeray Illustrated Half-Leather Decorative Book
 
Book Title & Author
 
Burlesques by William Makepeace Thackeray (1811–1863)
 
Publication Details
 
Date: 1879
Publisher: Smith, Elder & Co., 15 Waterloo Place, London
Printer: Spottiswoode & Co., New-Street Square & Parliament Street, London
Series: The Works of William Makepeace Thackeray in Twenty-Four Volumes – Volume XV (15)
 
Description
 
A beautifully presented half-leather antiquarian edition of Burlesques by William Makepeace Thackeray, with illustrations by Thackeray, George Cruikshank, and H. Furniss.
 
This edition forms part of the finely bound 24-volume collected works, produced in 1879 by Smith, Elder & Co. The decorative binding, gilt-tooled spine, and marbled edges and endpapers make this not only a literary treasure but also a striking example of 19th-century bookbinding.
 
Binding & Exterior Condition
 
Half-leather binding with gilt-tooled spine and decorative raised bands
Contrasting marbled paper-covered boards
All edge marbling, plus matching marbled pastedowns and endpapers
Condition: Strong and intact, with minor wear consistent with age
Light rubbing to corners and edges
Small areas of rubbing on boards
Small marks and scratches
Some fading and small rips in leather
Please refer to the photographs
A very attractive example at nearly 150 years old
 
Interior Condition
 
Pages lightly tanned, typical of age
Very light foxing on prelims and very small marks on just a few pages
Otherwise, clean, neat, and predominantly uncreased, with just some very light creases on the inner margin of some of the pages.
Tight binding; only light cracks at pastedowns/endpapers
No pen or pencil inscriptions
Complete: All 340 pages present
 
Physical Details
 
Size: 19.4 × 13.7 × 2.9 cm
Weight: 589 g
 
About the Author
 
Thackeray, famed for Vanity Fair, was a master of satire and parody. In Burlesques, he takes a playful turn, mocking literary styles and social conventions with wit, alongside illustrations by himself and two great satirical artists: George Cruikshank and H. Furniss.