Magna Britannia: Being a Concise Topographical Account of the Several Counties of Great Britain. By Daniel & Samuel Lysons. London: Printed for T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1806-22, large 4tos.
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A stunning set in lovely rebacked bindings, showing very attractively on the shelf indeed. Extensively illustrated with a total of 270 plates, maps, etc, throughout, many of which are foldouts, some hand-coloured. The engraved plates are of exceptionally fine quality. There are also many in-text illustrations.
The plate count per volume is thus: vol 1: 55, vol 2-1: 33, vol 2-2: 31, vol 3: 39, vol 4L 42, vol 5: 36, vol 6-1: 22, vol 6-2: 12, totalling 270. This includes the maps at the beginning of the volumes, this being responsible for the slightly higher plate count than as recorded in most bibliographies which call for 264, and so this set collates as complete with all plates and entrance maps.
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Size: 238 x 286 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
[(1), h.t., t.p., (v)-xxi, 742pp., 2pp., (1)]; [(1), t.p., 6pp., 296pp., i-xxii, 1ff., (1)]; [(1), t.p., t.p., 2ff., pp.297-889, 2pp., (1)]; [(1), t.p., (v)-viii, (i)-cclii, 394pp., (1)]; [(1), h.t., t.p., 4pp., (i)-ccx, 198pp., 2pp., (1)]; [(1), h.t., t.p., 4pp., (i)-ccxlii, 344pp., 2pp., (1)]; [(1), h.t., t.p., 8pp., (i)-ccclv, 2ff., (1)]; [(1), t.p., 682pp., (1)]
Contemporary marbled paper backed boards, vellum corners, finely rebacked in calf with green morocco title labels laid down to the spines, uniform. Boards rubbed. All boards are securely attached, all volumes function properly as books should. Hinges reinforced. Old bookplate of the Worcester Library, quite possibly the original purchaser of the set. There are what appears to be deaccession stamps to the rear pastedown dated 1927. Generally reasonably clean throughout the text, some mild foxing & toning, particularly to plate versos as typical, but generally very good internally. Collated as complete with all called for plates, maps, etc, abundantly illustrated throughout, including the various errata leaves, indexes, etc. Though there are half titles in volumes one, four, five, and six only, lacks half titles for volumes two & three. Endpapers are original and of a heavier paper stock than the rest of the text blocks.
