Ivanhoe; a Romance. By "the Author of Waverley," &c. In Three Volumes. Edinburgh: Printed for Archibald Constable and Co., Edinburgh; and Hurst, Robinson, and Co., London. 1820.
FIRST EDITION FIRST IMPRESSION of what many consider to be Walter Scott's magnum opus, and certainly one of the most important works of the 19th century, coming at a revolutionary time in British literature, in the time of Jane Austen, the Brontes, Mary Shelley, etc. Bound with the scarce 3pp catalogue at the rear of the third volume and thus an excellent example of this first edition.
With all prerequisite first issue points present: Volume I: pp.159-306 mispaginated as 151-298, pp.iii with "9" signature, "Peter" on pp.iv line 6, etc, as well as the relevant first issue points in volumes two and tree.
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Provenance:
Bookplate of Charles Grote. The admiral shield depicts a Tudor shield with slips into two sections, the left section taking up one third of the shield has small black dots which were used to depict gold in crests. The second half taking up two thirds of the shield depicts three trees on a hill. Above the shield there is an esquire or gentleman's helmet with a wreath above which has a tree inside of a u shaped object.
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Size: 121 x 185 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
[half title, title, advertisement, i-xxxiii, 298pp.]; [half title, title, 327pp.]; [half title, title, 371pp., 3pp.]
Spines lightly rubbed and scuffed. All boards attached with minor wear to joints and hinges. Boards with minor discolouration, rubbing, and scuffing. Shelf and edge wear. Dulling to page edges. Bookplate attached to front pastedown in all volumes. Edge toning to endpapers as commensurate with the bindings. Text blocks very clean with light toning to edges and very sporadic very minor foxing.
[OCLC: 5663356; Todd 140Aa]
