The Ingoldsby Legends, or Mirth & Marvels by Thomas Ingoldsby, Esq. Illustrated by Arthur Rackham and published in London by J.M. Dent & Co in 1898, 8vo, t.e.g.
The first Arthur Rackham edition of this work, another of which appeared in 1907. This 1898 edition did not have a signed limited edition as most of Rackham's illustrated books do.
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Condition:
Very nicely bound in contemporary half red morocco with intricate gilt details to spine and boards with delightful tooling. Spine in fine condition. Joints fine with both boards securely attached and binding secure without any shelf lean. Boards fine. Top edge with wear and some discolouration with some very minor shelf wear to the bottom edge too. Top page edge gilt near fine with some very minor discolouration. Endpapers are contemporary, probably lacking original blanks, else collated as complete with half-title and final printer colophon leaf. Mildly toned throughout with endpapers more heavily toned. Some tissue guards to versos of the very nice colour plates are heavily toned, occasionally causing commensurate toning to verso page and/or plate. This is to some but most are very good/near fine. Internally very good. Without any bookplates but with an ownership inscription dated September 1913 with some pencil information on the same page from a previous bookseller, presumably quite a long time ago and prior to the rebinding. Our guess is that the rebinding is very late 20th century, c.1990-2000, but could easily be more recent.
