"The best set of Hardy's works"
(Purdy, pp.287)
The Works of Thomas Hardy in Thirty-Seven Volumes. The Mellstock Edition. London: Macmillan and Co., Limited, 1919-20.
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SIGNED BY THOMAS HARDY as one of five hundred limited edition sets including his signature. The signature is found in Tess of the D'Urbervilles volume one, probably the most desirable volume for it to be located in.
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Provenance:
Bookplate of Sir Alexander Kay Muir, Bart. (1868-1951), with the motto "duris non frangor". Sir Alexander was the 2nd Baronet, son of Sir John Muir, Scottish industrialist, founder of Finlay Muir & Co. and Lord Provost of Glasgow 1889-1892. Succeeding as second Baronet in 1903, Alexander Kay Muir held the offices of Justice of the Peace for Glasgow and Perthshire, and High Sherriff of County Waterford.
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Size: 167 x 234 mm (approx., each)
Condition:
In the original blue publisher's cloth with gilt title and decorations to spines (monogrammed). Bindings lightly worn with rubbing and scuffing, and with some minor gilt loss / dulling in places, and some occasional fraying at extremities, as typical in the original cloth. All boards attached with minor wear to joints and hinges. Some corners are bumped. Some spines are slightly cocked, but the set shows very well indeed on the shelf, as pictured. Some volumes with shelf lean, but the set stands well together. Some light fading to some spines. Some occasional marks to boards. Page edges toned. Text blocks are generally very clean with occasional light toning, foxing and marks. Uncollated but present volumes appear to be complete. Some dampstaining to volumes 4 and 28 affecting mostly the front boards and some of the first few leaves, not affecting legibility, and some minor occasional dampstaining in other volumes, not typically affecting more than a few leaves. Volume 14 board with minor scratches to the head of the front board and a small tear to the foot of the front board (14mm approx.). Volume 33 with dampstaining to the bottom of the binding. Some uncut edges. Endpapers toned and foxed. White marks to the both boards of volume 8. Dampstaining to the rear board of volume 26. Prominent dampstaining to the rear board of volume 33, and minor dampstaining to the front board.
*The above condition description and photographs only indicate the general condition of the set, and not every detail is mentioned due to the large number of volumes in this set, but points of significance are stated where noticed upon our inspection of each volume.
**Please note we cannot combine the shipping of these books with any other listing due to the extent and weight of the set.
