The Life of Lord Viscount Nelson, Duke of Bronté, &c
- London: T. Bensley, 1808
London: T. Bensley, 1808. Very Good. London: T. Bensley, Bolt Court, 1808. First Edition. Large quarto (35x29cm); viii + 102pp. Of 15 original full-page or two-page copper engravings, seven are lacking (including the portrait frontispiece and the facsimile letter), eight remain. Lowndes I, 449.
Sea-green leather boards with gilt and black stamped borders, frames and ornaments on both panels. Rebacked in matching leather with gilt spine lettering. Marbled endpapers. Textblock of heavy wove cream paper; textblock gilt on all edges.
The boards, now stabilized and robust, show knocks and erosion at corners and edges-and have seen service, alas, as coasters for beverages on more than one occasion, with additional streaked scuffing and scraping. The hinges have been reinforced with sea-green binder's tape. The textblock shows liquid staining at upper corners of first 22 pages, and on the lower outer quadrants of the final eight pages.
Despite its seven amputed engravings, the volume remains very handsome, not unlike Lord Nelson himself, whose looks were undiminished despite his missing right arm. The remaining engravings are crisp and clear.
Sea-green leather boards with gilt and black stamped borders, frames and ornaments on both panels. Rebacked in matching leather with gilt spine lettering. Marbled endpapers. Textblock of heavy wove cream paper; textblock gilt on all edges.
The boards, now stabilized and robust, show knocks and erosion at corners and edges-and have seen service, alas, as coasters for beverages on more than one occasion, with additional streaked scuffing and scraping. The hinges have been reinforced with sea-green binder's tape. The textblock shows liquid staining at upper corners of first 22 pages, and on the lower outer quadrants of the final eight pages.
Despite its seven amputed engravings, the volume remains very handsome, not unlike Lord Nelson himself, whose looks were undiminished despite his missing right arm. The remaining engravings are crisp and clear.