In Original Boards
Typographical Antiquities: Or the History of Printing in England, Scotland, and Ireland: Containing Memoirs of Our Ancient Printers, and a Register of the Books Printed by Them. Begun by the late Joseph Ames … Considerably augmented by William Herbert … And now greatly enlarged … by the Rev. Thomas Frognall Dibdin.
London: Printed by William Savage … for William Miller …; John Murray; Longman, et al, 1810-1819.
Price: $3,750.00
About the item
First Dibdin edition, regular issue. With 14 mezzotint portraits and 24 engraved plates, numerous engravings and illustrations in text, some in black and red. xx, [2], 95, [1], cxxxviii, 390; [4], [vi], [32], XII, 33-[400], X, 400-614, [2 half-sheet], [4] ad; [4], [iv], 615, [1], [2]; [4], ii, [2], 623 pp. Half-sheet instructions to binder at back of vol 2, titles and half-titles in red and black, chapter heads in red. 4 vols. Royal 4to (276 x 211 mm). In Original Boards. Original brown (vols 1 & 4) and gray (vols 1 & 3) boards with printed paper labels on spine, uncut, most gatherings unopened vols 2-4. Some neat restoration to spines, occasional light spotting and some browning and offset but less than typically encountered, some chipping to spine labels but prices still legible, bookplates removed, but a very attractive set overall in the original binding. Bigmore & Wyman I, 7 ("the great storehouse for the History of English Printing"); Jackson 26; Windle & Pippin A15.
Item #306651
An attractive copy in original boards of this finely printed and richly illustrated survey of printing in the British Isles, including chapters on Caxton, Wynkyn de Worde and Pynson. The first Dibdin edition, being his enlargement of Joseph Ames's account of English printing to 1600 which was originally published in 1749. This copy retains the very scarce half-sheet "Directions for boarding and binding" at the back of volume 2, which Windle and Pippin note in only one other copy. Copies in boards uncommon.
