(Collection) Thackeray, Thackeray’s Complete Works. James B. Lyon, Albany, New York, 1888. 12mo (5 by 7 3/8 inches), half leather, with green marbled boards and endpapers, gilt stamped spines in 6 compartments.

Early Edition, of a ten volume set, of which these are eight. Interesting note, only one available edition by this publisher from 1888 (located at Pennsylvania College of Technology) per WorldCat, yet there are many more from 1887, of which they contain a different marbling pattern. Overall, a very good set with light sunning to the spines to seven of the volumes, very good condition with insides in good condition.

Date Acquired: 8/1/14

This was back in August when I was traveling with Gemma to Seattle, and we happened across just the most wonderful bookstore, I mentioned it before here, it’s called Horizon Books. We spent many hours there, being quite indecisive, and finally decided to come back and make a decision. A few days later we went back and I decided on these wonderful editions of Thackeray’s Complete works.

Vanity Fair had always been on my to-read list, and this was a perfect opportunity for me to finally cross it off, the fact that it came within a wonderfully bound book was a bonus. The owner said that he did not have any of the other volumes to complete this set, so I thought there were only eight, there might be ten, or eight, it’s hard to tell. As I stated earlier, this edition only has one copy, in Pennsylvania, and it does not say how many volumes are in their set, although I can assume it is ten, since the other 1887 editions contain ten.

The rightmost book (Virginians etc…) was stored in a box, so it has no sunning to the spine, while the others have been exposed to sunlight and have faded from a deep brown, to a light tan. Otherwise the volumes are in good shape, all of the gilt on the spines is in wonderful shape, with none of the designs missing.

The green marbled endpapers seem to have a gold sheen to them, as in the light becomes reflected off of the gold parts, this is near impossible to photograph for me, I apologize. The collection, as it is stated is illustrated, and there are around 50 illustrations per volume, simple black and white etchings, but etchings non-the-less. Here is an example from The Virginians.

As it is quite noticeable, the text is clean, although the pages are thoroughly browned, from one reason or another, there is very little foxing, although most of it occurs near the beginning of the book

The discrepancy with the date is quite strange, I do not know if that makes these more rare, or if it is just a simple misprint, but as I said earlier, the only set I could find pictures of, were the sets from 1887, here is the title page from one of the books.

I have not gotten around to reading any of them sadly, because I am extremely busy, and reading other things at the time being, so these are just sitting in the bookcase, waiting patiently to be opened up and read.