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First Edition, in 7 Volumes (complete), published 1862-63. Hard cover, 12 mo, (5 x 7 1/4 inches) finely bound in full polished calf gilt by Bickers & Son, London, (stamp sighed.) Double gilt-ruled borders to both boards with small corner circles, the spine richly gilt with five raised bands, with tooled titles in second and third compartments on labels of red and green, the remaining decorated with a triangular arrangement of small gilt elements surrounded by small circles and corner festoons, additional banding in a Greek key pattern near foot of the spine, dotted lines along the bands, zigzag banding on labels and additional rolled gilt decoration to all board edges. Turn-ins are stamped in blind with vertical lines. Glazed marbled endpapers match the trimmed, and beautifully marbled text block edges. Bradbury & Evans, Whitefriars, Printers.**CONDITION: Near Fine (or better): A few light marks to some boards, (one small scuff through to rear pasteboard, vol. VII.) Corners, hinges and joints intact. Some discoloration to some of the turn-ins, likely glue residue from manufacture. Marbling is clean and bright, pages nice, bright and clean. The set has been well taken care of. A few notes in pencil to ffep.**Author Thomas Hood (1799-1845) worked largely in London, although with connexion to the Dundee area of Scotland. This collection contains many examples of a wide-ranging writing style, in many genres: the poetry, ("The Plea of the Midsummer Fairies," "The Song of the Shirt,") novels, ("Lamia," the gothic spooky "Tylney Hall") and the sometimes darkly humorous, and pun-laden writings of a career in the popular press, including "London Magazine," "Punch," "The Atheneum," "The New Monthly Magazine," and as Editor of "Hood's Own." Despite a career circumscribed by ill health, he managed to make the most of his talents, perhaps native in the dna of a child born to a bookseller and publisher. His work is said to have been admired by many of the Romantic-era literati of the time, with his use of social critique inspirational to authors including Dickens, Wordsworth, the Coleridges, De Quincey and others. **Author bios: DNB (1885-1900) Boase and Garnett, p 270-272. Sutherland (1989) pp. 303-305. Watson p. 359. Bookbinder: James and Henry Bickers, see Ramsden p.38. A beautiful set. (8.2 lbs.)
Ref: FINE 9127
$850.00