1880: The Natural History And Antiquities Of Selborne by Rev. Gilbert White. Luxury Prize Edition FULL LEATHER Bound Antiquarian ILLUSTRATED Book.
This is ‘The Natural History And Antiquities Of Selborne, In The County of Southampton. By The Rev. Gilbert White’. The Standard Edition by E. T. Bennett. Thoroughly revised, with additional notes by James Edmund Harting. It is the Third Edition. Published by Bickers And Son, 1 Leicester Square, London and printed by Chiswick Press: C. Whittingham And Co., London.
In full scarlet POLISHED CALF GILT with panelled boards, raised bands and broad decorated turn-ins. This is a RARE LEATHER EDITION of this wonderful book. There is a gilt crest on the front, with the surrounded lettering: “MORNING CLASS FOR THE SONS OF GENTLEMEN, 13 SOMERSET STREET, PORTMAN SQUARE” and so a SPECIAL PRIZE EDITION of this book, created especially for this class. Somerset Street, Portman Square, was in Marylebone, London, an affluent area during the 18th and 19th centuries and I understand that it was a Victorian day school kept by two sisters called Woodman. The school catered specifically to boys from upper-class families. However, this copy is uniquely special as it bears a pen inscription to Ernest Dunlop Swinton—Born in 1868, he was a distinguished British general, engineer, and writer, best known for his instrumental role in the development of the tank during World War I. Swinton was a visionary in military strategy and a celebrated author and educator. Books associated with such historically significant figures are exceptionally rare and collectible, offering both historical and personal resonance to collectors of military, literary, and British heritage artifacts.
With Pp. 568, all edges marble, marble patterned pastedowns and endpapers, and NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS by Thomas Bewick including an illustrated title page.
It also includes TEN LETTERS NOT INCLUDED IN ANY OTHER PREVIOUS EDITION of the work and a FOLD-OUT FACSIMILE FROM THE JOURNAL OF REV. GILBERT WHITE, facing page 383.
Rev. Gilbert White was a pioneer in ecology and natural history. He was born in 1720 in Selborne, which is now in the county of Hampshire. He influenced Charles Darwin greatly, especially in his youth. The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne is a landmark work in both natural history and English literature. It was first published in 1789. This book is a collection of letters, observations, and essays written by White to fellow naturalists. It focuses on the flora, fauna, climate, and antiquities of Selborne, the rural Hampshire village where he lived. White’s approach was personal, scientific, and deeply observant, making the book both informative and charming.
The cover is intact and robust, and in a good condition for a book which is over 140 years old. There is some cosmetic wear to the cover, especially to the edges. Over the boards, spine, and at the edges there are several marks, stain, small patches of rubbing, and bumping to the corners (with some loss of the leather). Please see the photographs for further details.
INTERNALLY, THIS IS A VERY NEAT COPY FOR ITS AGE. The pages are just lightly tanned, and OVERALL, VERY NEAT AND CLEAN, AND PREDOMINANTLY UNCREASED. There is only the occasional small mark. The fold-out facsimile has small creases and small rips at the edges, but these are minimal and shown in the photographs which I have provided. Besides this, only the half title page and the edges of the front free endpaper have small rips. Other than the afore mentioned pen on the front flyleaf, with the inscription awarding this book as a prize at Easter 1881 to ‘Ernest Dunlop Swinton’, there is also a ‘Bookseller’ stamp on the back free endpaper. However, there is no further pen or pencil inside this book. The pages are all TIGHTLY BOUND and so there are NO LOOSE PAGES. There are NO MISSING PAGES, and so all 568 pages are present and have been accounted for.
Please study the photos carefully as to the condition of this book, as they do form part of the description.
This measures approximately 22.6 cm by 14.7 cm and 3.9 cm wide. It weighs approximately 969 grams.
Thank you for looking.