Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
IMPORTANT!
This is the ROBERT TEMPLE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE. It contains descriptions and notes relating to almost 18,000 titles in the fields of British and American literature, being the bulk of the stock that has passed through our hands since 1984, with the addition of a few earlier items of especial interest. Books currently in stock are not included, and it is therefore necessary to supplement your search by looking at our Current Catalogues. For the most part full bibliographical descriptions are given, though for some earlier items, catalogued when computing space was more restricted the details given are quite brief. For an account of the conventions adopted, the abbreviations used, and reference sources consulted, please see our information pages.
Please note: The arrangement here is the same as that adopted in our current catalogues, and as there our larger files are presented in sections for ease of downloading. At the end of each section you are invited to browse the next. |
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Rebecca's Remorse by James Payne. General Passavant's Will by Grant Allen. The Golden Rule. By Mrs. Oliphant. And Other Tales. With 27 Illustrations [by W. Rainey, W. Parkinson, Dudley Hardy, etc.]. Vol.II. John E. Stafford, Brighton and Tunbridge Wells, N.D. Eight full-page plates, on text-paper, not numbered but included in the pagination, and five other illustrations in the text; inserted title-page, on paper of a different quality; no half-title called for; diagonally-fine-ribbed navy blue cloth ruled on the sides in blind, ruled and lettered on the spine in gilt. Lacking the front free end-paper, and with very slight damp-marking of covers; otherwise a fine copy. Scarce.
A curiously made up volume, the pagination running from p.193 to p.350, and containing, despite the title-page, only thirteen illustrations; though since all the plates are accounted for in the pagination, and there are no gaps, the volume is evidently complete as issued. It consists in fact of the latter half of Stories from Black and White (Chapman and Hall, Ld., 1893), the first edition sheets of which, having been sold off as remainders, were bound up in two volumes, with cancel title and added title, by the present publisher, who linked them with volume numbers for the sake of the pagination, but titled them separately for independent sale. The spine of the present volume is lettered: ‘General Passavant's Will. Grant Allen &c. &c. Vol.11 [sic]', and all of the stories mentioned on the title-page are in fact included, together with "Is It A Man?" by J.M. Barrie.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. The Romancist and Novelist's Library. Edited by William Hazlitt. New Series. Vol.II. John Clements, 1841. Green fine diaper cloth, blindstamped on the sides, ruled blind and lettered gilt on the spine: ‘THE/ ROMANCIST/AND/NOVELIST/LIBRARY. (rule) VOL.2', and at the foot: ‘LONDON', all in sans serif caps; end-papers coated yellow; edges uncut. A near-fine copy.
Sadleir 3757a. The work was issued first in twopenny numbers, these being subsequently collected into four independent volumes. Sadleir possessed two sets: the first of the original issue, bound in half-calf; the second, in cloth, a reprint dating from 1846. He had never seen a specimen of the original cloth issue, offered here. Included in the volume are the following pieces: SIMMS. (W.G.). Guy Rivers, The Outlaw, a Tale of Georgia; GALT (John). The Fatal Whisper; THOMAS (Francis W.). Howard Pinckney; COOPER (J. Fennimore [sic]). Imagination, a Tale for Young Women; FOUQUE. Undine; QUEVADO. Paul the Spanish Sharper; TUCKERMAN (Henry L.). The Sad Bird of the Adriatic; GALT (John). Haddah Ben Ahab. The two Galt stories seem to be here first published; that by Cooper is here first published in England. Blanck 3897.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. The Romancist And Novelist's library. Edited by William Hazlitt. New series. Vol.IV. John Clements, [21 and 22,] Little Pulteney Street, 1842. BOUND WITH: The romancist, And Novelist library. Vol.V., Containing the following works, (Translated from the French):- Prosper Chavigni & Letitia Laferti. The three rivals. The enchanted horse. Mother and daughter. The king's fool. Lucretia Borgia. The negro's revenge. Published by J. Clements, [21 and 22,] Little Pulteney Street, N.D. [1842]. 2 Vols., double demy 16mo; pp.[4]+[ii]+162+ 3-6+30+2+8+[12]+6; [2]+iv+172+[ii]+26+[ii]+10+[iv (paged iii)]+36+iv+44+viii+39+[i (advertisements)]+[2]+ iv+49+[i (blank)]; separate title-page to each story; contemporary half maroon roan, marbled sides. Specific title lacking to second story in volume IV; otherwise nice.
Sadleir 3757a and Postscript. The work was issued first in twopenny numbers, these being subsequently collected into at least six independent volumes. Sadleir possessed two partial sets, both including the first four volumes only: one of the original issue, bound in half-calf; the second, in cloth, a reprint dating from 1846. The book here offered is bound up from the numbers, and includes the latter half only of volume IV, together with the whole of the much scarcer volume V. Volume V. includes: JANIN (Jules). Prosper Chavigni And Letitia Laverti; Or, Le chemin de traverse (called on the running headlines ‘The Cross Roads, A Romance of Real Life'); ANON. The Three rivals; Or Theodora, The Spanish widow; ANON. The Enchanted Horse; Or, Claramunda And Cleomades; BALZAC. Mother And Daughter; Or, La marana (translated, with an introduction, by W.T. Haley); HUGO (Victor). The King's fool; or, Le roi s'amuse (translated, with an introduction, by W.T. Haley; called on the running headlines ‘The King's Diversion'); HUGO (Victor). Lucretia Borgia; A Dramatic tale, Translated [with an introduction] . . . By W.T. Haley (dated on specific title 1842); SUE (Eugene). The Negro's revenge; Or, Brulart, The Black pirate. None of the pieces included in this volume has the air of having originally been printed for Clements, having not the overcrowded look of a Clements' page. The Cross Roads has a cancel title page, and consists of sheets avowedly printed for issue by B.D. Cousins, 18, Duke-street, Lincoln's-inn-fields, in penny numbers, and in wrappered parts at sixpence. It is provided with wood-engraved illustrations in the text, but is otherwise similar in layout and typography to the five next succeeding pieces, one of which, Lucretia Borgia, includes a page of Cousins advertisements. The Clements title page in this last is here integral, however, making it clear, that Cousins was in this case merely the printer. Three of them, also, are translated by Haley. The final piece is different again, being printed on a different paper stock, and in double columns. It is provided with woodcuts in the text, but gives no evidence of origin. The prelims. are on the same paper as the rest of the text, and appear to have been printed as part of the final gathering, the title-leaf and the first leaf of the Preface being conjugate, whilst the second leaf of the Preface is a single inset. The double column format of the volume makes it unlikely that Clements originated publication of the book, but we hypothesise that he may have undertaken to purchase a portion of the sheets before the issue of the parts (five four page parts and one eight page part) had been completed, so that some copies of the final number came to be run off with his title-page.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. The Romancist, And Novelist's library. Vol.VI. Containing the following works:- Stuart Sharpe; or, the demons of the Forest. Life and adventures of Charley Chalk. A dream of love. Bloomsbury and Felicia. Floris and Blanchefleur. Ambrosio and Acantha. Alf of Munster; or, the anabaptists. Published by J. Clements, Little Pulteney Street, N.D. [c.1842]. Demy 8vo; half-title not called for; general title a single inset leaf; separate title leaf present to first work only, not called for to other works (v. note); pp.[ii]+78+[ii (recto blank, verso bearing imprint at foot: HIND, PRINTER, ST. JOHN-STREET-ROAD)]+310+48+64 (includes: ‘Bloomsbury and Felicia. A tale of yore.' pp.[1]-16; ‘Floris & Blanchefleur.' pp.[17]-29; ‘Ambrosio and Acantha' pp.[30]-53; ‘Leander and Aldina. A tale of yore.' pp.[54]-60; ‘Brachman Padmanaba' pp.60-64)+68; contemporary half red binder's cloth, marbled boards, hand-written paper spine label. Some general wear to covers; end-papers, binder's blank, and general title leaf partly embrowned by damp; title to first work and first leaf of text with some vertical creasing; otherwise a nice copy.
From the library of Anne and F.G. Renier, with their small book label on the front paste-down. Not in Wolff; Sadleir, 3757a, Postscript. Sadleir did not have a copy of this volume in his collection, and gives brief details only, recording it as though it contains just the first two titles. The separate title-page to the first work reads: Stuart Sharpe. A romance. By Paul Eaton. Published by G. Berger, Holywell Street, Strand; Strange & Steill, Paternoster Row; Heatherington, Strand; And by all booksellers in town and country, 1839. The copy recorded by Sadleir, like the present one, had the separate title page present for the first novel only, the omission of those to the rest (which are not called for by the paginations) being evidently correct for this collective issue. The volume is made up of remaindered sheets of works issued by other publishers - the first two by Berger in 1839, and ‘A Dream of Love' almost certainly by B.D. Cousins, 18, Duke Street, Lincoln's-Inn-fields, whose imprint appears at the end of that text, whilst the originators of the remaining two works remain unidentifiable. It is evident from the signatures that ‘Stuart Sharpe' was originally issued in 16pp. numbers, presumably weekly, this work forming Nos.6-10 of a larger collection. ‘Charley Chalk' is believed to have been issued in similar numbers (probably twenty in nineteen, complete) though the gatherings are not in any issue so signed. The remaining works seem, on the evidence of signatures and stab-holes, to have been issued separately as volumes. ‘Charley Chalk' is the only one of these titles recorded by Block (p.39); it is also the only one possessed by Sadleir (Sadleir, 79, the second [but first book] issue); Wolff had none of them; nor are any of them listed by Summers, although some at least ought to fall within his brief. Four very rare works (and one that is merely very scarce) in one volume.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Russian stories, vol. I [II]. Makar's Dream [The Saghalien Convict] And Other stories. T. Fisher Unwin, Paternoster Square, 1892. 2 Vols., apparently uniform, but volume one 12mo, volume two narrow 8vo; blank before half-title, printer's imprint leaf at end, in volume one; 6pp. integral advertisements at end in volume two; wood-engraved head and tail ornaments and decorated initial letters throughout both volumes, signed ‘L.M.'; pp.[viii]+182+[ii]; 217+[i (printer's imprint)]+[6]; glazed natural linen, ruled on sides and spine, blocked with publisher's monogram device on back cover, lettered on front cover and up spine, all in blue; t.e.g., others uncut. Two pairs of leaves in volume two opened a little roughly; otherwise a very nice set.
Sadleir, 3655 (series entry only); Wolff, 7889, listing the second volume only. On the advertisement page facing the title in volume one it is described as being No.13 of The Pseudonym Library series (which is listed to No.14); on the corresponding advertisement page in volume two, volume one is described as being No.14 (nos. 13 and 14 now being reversed), whilst volume two is described as being No.18, that being the latest volume listed. This later ordering is correct and is maintained in all subsequent advertisements of the series. Issued regularly in two forms: in paper covers at 1/6d., and in cloth, as here, at 2/-. The present volume one, however, is anomalous, in as much as the head and tail ornaments and the decorated initial letters, throughout, have been finely hand-coloured, and despite the fact that we can trace no record of there having been a hand-coloured issue of any of the titles in this series, this copy would appear in fact to have been so published. We opine that it may have been one of a very few special copies so made up.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. The Savage Club Papers. Edited by J.E. Muddock. Art editor Herbert Johnson. London, 1897, Hutchinson & Co., 34, Paternoster Row. Double f'cap 8vo; half-title not called for; frontispiece and other illustrations on text paper, mostly arranged as plates, but included in the pagination; pp.xvi+376; white buckram, blocked pale brown, light pale brown, fawn, and black on sides and spine, lettered black and white, and black, on front cover, black on spine, ruled black on spine; end-papers printed in grey with pattern of conventionalised flowers and palmate leaves within partial geometrical (straight sided and arc) outlines. Some very slight darkening of white buckram, but an unusually nice copy, the delicate enamel very nearly fine; a fine copy internally. Scarce thus.
Contributors include G.A. Henty, George Manville Fenn, Coulson Kernahan, Arthur Morrison, J.E. Muddock, etc. Illustrators include Arthur Frederics, Phil May, J.F. Sullivan, Albert Toft, and Harrison Weir. Newbolt, SCP1, describing an otherwise similar copy bound in linen coloured cloth, blocked in ‘black and light Indian red'. The design on the back cover is signed ‘A.W.' (presumably A.H. Warren).
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. The Savage Club Papers. Edited by J.E. Muddock. Art editor Herbert Johnson. London, 1897, Hutchinson & Co., 34, Paternoster Row. Double f'cap 8vo; half-title not called for; frontispiece and other illustrations on text paper, mostly arranged as plates, but included in the pagination; pp.xvi+376; linen-coloured buckram, blocked pale brown, light pale brown, and black on sides and spine, lettered black and linen-colour, and black, on front cover, black on spine, ruled black on spine; end-papers printed in grey with pattern of conventionalised flowers and palmate leaves within partial geometrical (straight sided and arc) outlines. Slight wear to covers at head and tail of spine, and design somewhat rubbed, but much less so than usual; in general, a very nice copy.
Contributors include G.A. Henty, George Manville Fenn, Coulson Kernahan, Arthur Morrison, J.E. Muddock, etc. Illustrators include Arthur Frederics, Phil May, J.F. Sullivan, Albert Toft, and Harrison Weir. Newbolt, SCP1, describing an otherwise similar copy blocked in ‘black and light Indian red'. The design on the back cover is signed ‘A.W.' (presumably A.H. Warren).
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. The Savage Club Papers. Edited by J.E. Muddock. Art editor Herbert Johnson. London, 1897, Hutchinson & Co., 34, Paternoster Row. Double f'cap 8vo; half-title not called for; frontispiece and other illustrations on text paper, mostly arranged as plates, but included in the pagination; pp.xvi+376; linen-coloured buckram, blocked pale brown, light pale brown, and black on sides and spine, lettered black and linen-colour, and black, on front cover, black on spine, ruled black on spine; end-papers printed florally in brown. Covers worn at head and tail of spine, and corners, and design somewhat rubbed; lower corners a trifle bruised; a few leaves foxed; inscription (dated 1904) on blank recto of frontispiece; but a very good copy, nonetheless.
Contributors include G.A. Henty, George Manville Fenn, Coulson Kernahan, Arthur Morrison, J.E. Muddock, etc. Illustrators include Arthur Frederics, Phil May, J.F. Sullivan, Albert Toft, and Harrison Weir. Newbolt, SCP1, describing an otherwise similar copy blocked in ‘black and light Indian red', and with differently coloured end-papers. The design on the back cover is signed ‘A.W.' (presumably A.H. Warren).
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. [Cover title:] Six Summer Numbers Of the Argosy. No place, no publisher, no date [London, (?)1890]. Issued without prelims; seven plates; bevelled cerise fine diaper cloth, ruled and blocked blind on back cover, ruled, blocked, and lettered gilt on front cover and spine. Edges, end-papers, and first and last two leaves foxed; otherwise a virtually fine copy.
Evidently a nonce publication issued to work off left over sheets. Not listed in the British Library Catalogue. CBEL, III, p.512 lists under Mrs. Henry Wood ‘Summer Stories from the Argosy. By Mrs. Henry Wood and other authors. 2pts., 1890'. Three of the present issues include stories by Mrs. Henry Wood. Other contributors include T.W. Speight, Katherine Carr, and E. OE. Somerville.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Routledge's Christmas annual. The Stage door: Stories by those who enter it Edited by Clement W. Scott. George Routledge and Sons, Broadway, Ludgate Hill, N.D. [1879]. Double f'cap 8vo; 2pp. ‘Stage door advertiser' precede text-paper illustrated title-page with Prologue on verso, this followed by 10pp. of Advertiser, and letterpress vignette title-page with Contents on verso, and text (paged [5]-96), 4pp. of Advertiser, 32pp. Routledge's inserted Illustrated Christmas Catalogue, ‘Scottish Widows' Fund' advertisement on narrower grey paper, and 4pp. f'cap 8vo Chapman and Hall advertisements printed in purple; blue-grey wrappers, cut flush, the front wrapper printed in blue, black, and red, the inside and back wrappers with commercial advertisements in black; issued without end-papers. Backstrip lacking, back cover faded, one leaf frayed at margins and chipped with loss of about eight lines of story by J.L. Toole, and eight lines of story by J. Ashby-Sterry (c. 50 words each); short tear in fore-margins of first four leaves (Advertiser and illustrated title); otherwise in general a nice copy. Scarce.
Contributors include S[quire] B. Bancroft, E.L. Blanchard, Lionel Brough, H.J. Byron, W.S. Gilbert, George Grossmith, Jr., Henry Irving, Herman Merivale, Clement W. Scott, J. Ashby Sterry, Barry Sullivan, etc., etc. Searle, p.88: the second issue, the title on the front wrapper appearing on a red background instead of a green background as in the first issue, and the ‘Scottish Widows' Fund' advertisement being dated November instead of October.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Routledge's Christmas annual. The Stage door: Stories by those who enter it Edited by Clement W. Scott. George Routledge and Sons, Broadway, Ludgate Hill, N.D. [1879]. Double f'cap 8vo; bound up without the advertisements and wrappers; text-paper illustrated title-page with Prologue on verso, here bound in reversed, letterpress vignette title-page with Contents on verso, and text (paged [5]-96). BOUND WITH: Routledge's Christmas annual. The Green room: Stories by those who frequent it Edited by Clement Scott. George Routledge and Sons, Broadway, Ludgate Hill, N.D. [1880]. Double f'cap 8vo; bound up without the advertisements and wrappers; pp.96. Contemporary half brown morocco, marbled boards; end-papers faced brown. Leather very slightly rubbed; front end-paper removed; otherwise very nice.
Contributors to the first title include S[quire] B. Bancroft, E.L. Blanchard, Lionel Brough, H.J. Byron, W.S. Gilbert, George Grossmith, Jr., Henry Irving, Herman Merivale, Clement W. Scott, J. Ashby Sterry, Barry Sullivan, etc. etc. Searle, p.88: issue status undeterminable, because of the absence of the wrappers and advertisements. Contributors to the second title include the editor, Clement Scott, Gilbert A'Beckett, E.L. Blanchard, F.C. Burnand, Henry J. Byron, Henry Irving, Oscar Wilde, Arthur W. Pinero, Lewis Wingfield, etc., etc. Mason, 243
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Standard stories For Young people, A series of Moral and Instructiv [sic] Tales of a superior order, Of universal interest and attraction. Collected by Mrs. Clara Hall. With numerous engravings. Edward Lacey, 76, St. Paul's Church-yard; And sold by all booksellers, N.D. [?1829]. 12mo in half sheets; steel engraved frontispiece engraved by W. Chevalier after R. Farrier, with tissue guard (bearing the legend ‘Pubd. by R. Ackermann & Co.'); six wood-engraved plates by Sears on tinted paper; half-title not called for; pp.iv+284; vertically fine ribbed scarlet cloth, ruled and blocked blind on sides, lettered, and elaborately blocked gilt on spine; a.e.g.; end-papers coated pale yellow. Slight general wear to covers; a few small marginal stains; inscription dated ‘December, 29' on upper margin of Contents; otherwise in general a nice copy.
Short stories by "The Author of Tales of the Vicarage" [A. Selwyn], W. Holloway, Charles Luscombe, Mrs. S.C. Hall, and Mrs. Opie, with others that are included anonymously. Issued, presumably for the Christmas season, and got up to resemble the Annuals of the period. There is no list of plates, but they are marked to face pp.1 [13], 60, 96, 155 [156], 228, and 244 (the figures in square brackets showing their actual placement in this volume). The editor of this volume, Clara Hall, seems only to be known as the author of two novels published by Lacy about 1830, and of a number of anthologies, those published by Lacy being all likewise of about that date. If the date in the inscription on the present copy refers to a year and not a day, it would pretty well agree - but this would then be a very early use of blind and gilt blocking on cloth other than silk. We have been able to trace no record of this title, which is at any rate not in Block, Summers, Sadleir, Wolff, the British or London Library Catalogues, or NUC.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Stories From "Black and White" By W.E. Norris. W. Clarke Russell. Thomas Hardy. Mrs. E. Lynn Linton. James Payn. J.M. Barrie. Mrs. Oliphant. Grant Allen. With twenty-seven illustrations. Chapman & Hall, Ld., 1893 [i.e., December, 1892]. Final blank; twenty-seven illustrations (fifteen as plates), all on text-paper (the ‘plate' pages and their blank versos being included in the pagination); light midnight blue buckram, lettered in black and white on front cover, in gilt on spine; a.e. uncut. Covers somewhat used and worn, but sound; internally very good.
A mixed bag, including at least one murder story. Purdy, p.82 refers. The first issue.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. The [Illustrated] Story-teller. Hextall & Wall, [113, Strand,] N.D. [c.1846-7]. Med.8vo in half-sheets; wood-engraved vignette title-page on plate paper (with four vignettes), precedes publisher's Address leaf on text-paper; other prelims. not called for; numerous wood-engraved illustrations in text; pp.[2 (title-leaf)]+[ii]+166; publisher's vertically fine ribbed dark sage green cloth, ruled and blocked blind on sides, ruled, lettered, and very elaborately blocked gilt on spine; end-papers coated pale yellow. Slight wear to cloth at head of spine, and small restoration at tail; neat contemporary inscription on title-page, and neat marginal pen trials on one leaf; two leaves with short tears, but no loss; otherwise a nice copy.
Though the title as given on the title-page is ‘The Story-teller', the volume was originally issued in 21 weekly numbers, each containing eight leaves and priced at three half-pence, under the title ‘The Illustrated Story-teller', this title appearing on the head-lines throughout and in the publisher's Address. According to this address ‘The Illustrated Story Teller was issued for the purpose of presenting to the reading public a series of Stories, original and translated, illustrated in a novel style, superior in design and execution to the cheap periodicals of the day; and, from its size and typography, it was calculated to form an elegant Volume when bound - an advantage not possessed by many of its competitors. The Proprietors not being able, in consequence of more important avocations, to give due attention to it, have determined to close, at present, The Illustrated Story Teller with this their First Volume. If they should, however, publish a continuation at any future period, it will be double the present size, as the short quantity of letter-press in each number must necessary destroy the interest, and break the thread of continuous tales.' We deduce from this that the venture had been unsuccessful - and as far as we are aware it was not carried on at any future date under either of these titles. (It is not to be confused with the two volumes called ‘The Story Teller: A Collection of Tales, Original, Translated, and Selected' published by James Robins in 1830, or the 1843 volume entitled ‘The Story-teller: a table-book of popular literature'). We suspect the Editor may have been Pierce Egan the younger, who was closely associated with many Hextall and Wall publications. Most of the contributions are anonymous, but among the signed contributions are two stories: ‘A Tale of Potted Sprats' by Mrs. Opie, ‘Ella: a tale' by Henry Stevens; and one serial: ‘The Salamander' by Eugene Sue; unsigned serials include ‘The Enchanted Castle', ‘The Victim', ‘The Four Fugatives: a tale of the Civil War', ‘The Skull House', ‘The Orphan', and ‘The Ghost of the Gallery'. Not in Sadleir, Wolff, Block, Summers, the London or British Library Catalogues, or NUC. Dated, somewhat tentatively, from the inscription on the title-page, which records its purchase in ‘August/47'.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. The Strand Novelettes. Vol.II. Contents. [in two columns:] The Flower of Vengeance. True Love's Mistake. A Love that Grew. Maying in Harvest. St. Valentine's Lottery. Alan Lindow's Wife. / A Wish and its Cost. In Exchange for A Life. A Shadowed Life. A Famous Mystery. The Taming of A Madcap. An Unsuspected Witness. A Story of Two Singers. London: George Newnes, Limited, Southampton Street and Exeter Street, Strand, 1895. Sq.double demy 16mo; half-title not called for; single inset title-leaf on thicker paper; wood-engraved illustrations in text; pp.32+32+32+32+32+32+32+32+32+32+32+32+32; publisher's duck-egg blue buckram, ruled black and tan, elaborately blocked black, tan, and dark red, lettered dark red and duck-egg-blue-outlined and duck-egg-blue-shadowed black on front cover, ruled and blocked dark red, lettered dark red, black, and dark-red-shadowed black on spine; end-papers printed with rose-and-thistle pattern in tan. Slight fading and marking of covers; otherwise a nice copy. Scarce.
Thirteen separately published novelettes bound up together in one volume in publisher's cloth, with the addition of a general title-page. Three volumes in all were issued, separately, at intervals, between March and August 1895. The stories are by Frederic Breton, Miss M. Capes, Alys Hallard, Alison Buckler, Isabel Bellerby, Huan Mee, Lester Lorton, Robert Halifax, Bertha Henry, Hugh Coleman Davidson, Edith Maude Dunaway, Hannah Martin, and Mrs. Henry E. Dudeney respectively. This series not in Sadleir; Wolff, 7903, recording an issue with yellow instead of tan blocking, and without the title-page: evidently bound up from the separate parts in a supplied case (which was available, according to advertisements at the end of several of the present parts, "at 8d. each, post free 9d."). Wolff is in error in saying "all are by unknowns, most perhaps by pseudonymous hacks; ‘Huan Mee' is an example the suspicious nomenclature" - several of the authors named above being well-enough known as popular writers in their day. A novel by ‘Huan Mee', ‘A Diplomatic Woman' was accorded an illustration in the A.E.R.M. Stevens sale of detective and fantasy fiction in December 1996, and was the lead title of seven that together made £690.00 (including buyer's premium)!
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Tales From "Bentley." Vol.I. Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1859. F'cap 8vo; half-title not called for; pp.[iv]+96+96+96; buff canvas over very thin boards, ruled black on sides and spine, blocked and lettered black on front cover, lettered black on back cover, across and up spine; t.e. uncut, fore-edges mainly trimmed. Covers just a little dusty; slight foxing of end-papers; otherwise a very nice copy.
Sadleir, 3737b/1, first book issue, first state. Contributors include W.H. Maxwell, The Hon. Ed. Howard, Thomas Love Peacock, William Maginn, The Rev. R.H. Dalton Barham, Edward Mayhew, etc. The series ran to four volumes, published separately, each of them made up of three parts. "In comparison with ‘Tales from Blackwood' (themselves by no means easy to find complete) the short series of ‘Tales from Bentley' is extremely uncommon. I have never succeeded in acquiring even a specimen of the part issue, and have hardly seen another set of the two book issues in tolerable condition". - Sadleir, II, p.122. The Sadleir copies came from the Bentley file.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Tales From "Bentley." Vol.I [II; III;]. Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, 1865. F'cap 8vo, 3 Vols. bound in one, apparently as issued; half-titles not called for in this issue; title to first volume a single inset, that to volumes two and three a cancel on different paper, that to volume two carrying the Contents on verso, that to volume three having a cancel Contents leaf present conjugate with it; pp.[ii]+96+96; [ii]+96+84; [iv]+94+[ii (blank)]+96; maroon sand-grain cloth, ruled blind on sides, ruled and lettered gilt on spine; a.e.g.; end-papers coated pale yellow. Cloth just a trifle worn over joints; otherwise a very nice copy.
Sadleir, 3737c, not listing this cloth issue in two volumes: second book issue, probable second state, the first being of six volumes, each containing two parts, issued in blue boards. Contributors include W.H. Maxwell, The Hon. Ed. Howard, Thomas Love Peacock, William Maginn, The Rev. R.H. Dalton Barham, Edward Mayhew, Frances Trollope, Sir W. Napier, H.W. Longfellow, John Hamilton Reynolds, Mrs. Gore, etc. The original series ran to four volumes, published separately, each of them made up of three parts. "In comparison with ‘Tales from Blackwood' (themselves by no means easy to find complete) the short series of ‘Tales from Bentley' is extremely uncommon. I have never succeeded in acquiring even a specimen of the part issue, and have hardly seen another set of the two book issues in tolerable condition". - Sadleir, II, p.122. The Sadleir copies came from the Bentley file.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Tales From "Blackwood". William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh, N.D. [c.1862]. Lge.pott 8vo; half-title not called for; Contents leaf follows title-leaf; pp.[iv]+[96]+116+94+96+[96]+98; green dot-and-line grain cloth, ruled and blocked blind on back cover, ruled, blocked, and lettered gilt on front cover and spine; end-papers coated pale yellow. Scattered foxing, but a nice copy.
Contributors include Croly, Mudford, Mrs. Oliphant, Samuel Warren, etc. The volume bears no sign that it is in fact Volume 6 of the six volume issue. Sadleir, 3739a, recording only an issue in 36 numbers, and an issue in twelve volumes (of which he lists several successive variants). The present copy includes the contents of volumes eleven and twelve of Sadleir's twelve volume issue. Dated by us from the cloth, which is of a type used in the early ‘sixties.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Tales from Chambers's Journal: My friend Ching And other tales. W. & R. Chambers, Limited, N.D. [1884]. F'cap 8vo; pp.144; half-title not called for; engraved vignette on title, head and tail pieces throughout; yellowish brown wrappers, cut flush, printed on front wrapper in black; wire-stabbed, through wrappers; issued without end-papers. Minute nick in paper at head of spine; otherwise a very fine copy.
Dated from the English Catalogue of Books. A scarce series, of which Sadleir found only one example for his collection (No.8). Sadleir's copy was in lilac wrappers, was printed on the spine as well as on the front wrapper, and apparently carried series advertisements, running to number eight, which caused him to speculate that this may have been the total number issued. If the note on the signatures in the present volume can be trusted, this is number 3.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Tales Of The Teutonic lands. [Translated, with an Introduction and notes] By George W. Cox, M.A. And Eustace Hinton Jones, Authors of ‘Popular Romances of the Middle Ages.' London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1872. Extra cr.8vo; blank before half-title; integral advertisement leaf at end; pp.xii+394+[ii]; bevelled brown sand-grain cloth, ruled blind on sides, ruled, blocked, and lettered gilt on spine; t.e. uncut, fore-edges rough trimmed; end-papers coated chocolate. Barely visible restorations to cloth at head and tail of spine; slight faults affecting end-papers; ownership inscriptions on front blank; otherwise a very nice copy.
Includes ‘The Stories of the Volsungs', ‘The Nibelung Story', ‘Walter of acquitaine', ‘The Story of Hugdietrich and Hildeburg', ‘The Gudrun Lay', ‘The Story of Frithjof and Ingebjorg', ‘Grettir the Strong', ‘Gunnlaug and the Fair Helga', and ‘Burnt Njal'. The authors were pioneers in the field of comparative mythology.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Thirteen at Dinner And what came of it Being Arrowsmith's Christmas Annual For 1881. London: Griffith and Farran, St. Paul's Churchyard; Bristol: J.W. Arrowsmith, Quay Street, N.D. [1881]. Lge.post 8vo; half-title not called for; wood-engraved frontispiece and five plates; pp.[138]+4 (commercial advertisements). Bound up without the wrappers; otherwise fine. Contributors include Amelia B. Edwards ('Was It An Illusion?', a ghost/murder story), John Addington Symonds, Hugh Conway ('The Daughter of the Stars', a fantasy; and a song, with music), Frederick Wedmore, etc. Apparently the first of the Arrowsmith's Annuals. BOUND WITH: Diprose's Annual For 1881. Diprose, Bateman & Co., Sheffield Street, Lincoln's Inn Fields, 1881. Lge.post 8vo; half-title not called for; eight wood-engraved plates; pp.144. Bound up without the wrappers; two leaves repaired with tissue; otherwise fine. Contributors include Hawley Smart, James Greenwood, etc. BOUND WITH: [Drop head:] The first foot In the house: An English Legend In five steps. By L.A. Chamerovzow. No date, place, or publisher [?c.1855, and a Christmas Annual]. Demy 8vo; half-title not called for; wood-engraved frontispiece; pp.110. Bound up without the wrappers; otherwise fine. BOUND WITH: Bow bells annual For Christmas And The new year. With Numerous illustrations. John Dicks, 313, Strand: and all booksellers, N.D. [?1881]. Demy 8vo; half-title not called for; eight wood-engraved plates; one illustration on text-paper; pp.136. Bound up without the wrappers; ownership inscription on upper margin of title-page; otherwise fine. Pp.3-85 are occupied by ‘The Spirit Circle': a series of six linked tales and an Introduction, the tales told by L. Crow, C.H. Ross, J. Redding Ware, R.L. Griffiths, LL.D., Geo. Manville Fenn, and Compton Reade, under the guise of the spirits of dead authors (Mrs. Radcliffe, Charles Dickens, W.M. Thackeray, Sir W. Scott, Captain Marryat, and Douglas Jerrold), and parodying their styles; other contributors include George Augustus Sala ('Jellybag's Vengeance: A tale of horror'), H.P. Grattan, etc. BOUND WITH: The Extra Christmas Numbers of Household Words for 1855 ('The Holly Tree Inn'), 1856 ('The Wreck of the Golden Mary'), 1857 ('The Perils of Certain English Prisoners'), and 1858 ('A House to Let'). Bound up without the wrappers; somewhat closely trimmed, and slightly damp-stained on fore-edges; otherwise nice. Eight Christmas annuals bound together in one volume; Victorian green cloth, leather spine label. Covers a trifle marked; otherwise nice.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Three notable stories. Love and peril, To be, or not to be, The melancholy hussar. Respectively by The Marquis of Lorne, K.T., Mrs. Alexander, Thomas Hardy. London, Spencer Blackett, 35, St. Bride Street, Ludgate Circus, E.C., 1890, (All rights reserved). Post 8vo; cancel title and Contents leaves (a tipped-in conjugate pair); 4pp. integral advertisements, followed by publisher's inserted 32pp. Catalogue at end, dated September, 1889; pp.[viii]+211+[i (blank)]+[iv]; grey buckram, blocked gilt, yellow, and black, lettered gilt and black, on front cover and spine; end-papers coated grey. Two and a half inch split in cloth over back joint; spine darkened; gilt and enamel rather rubbed on sides and spine; text in general nice.
Published at 3/6d in June or July 1890. As originally printed the book had an error (‘K.G.' for ‘K.T.') on the title-page. This was corrected before issue with the two leaf cancel here present, the earliest issue being distinguished by the presence of this cancel, by the presence of the September 1889 Spencer Blackett Catalogue at the end, and by having the imprint of Spencer Blackett on the spine. The present copy is of the earliest issue. The book was remaindered at 1/6d in March 1891 without the cancel being made, and copies of this remainder issue are sometimes seen, with or without the imprint on the spine, without the Catalogue, and with the erroneous original title leaf. Sets of sheets were also sold off to a wholesaler, who bound it in house style, and provided it with his own title-page following the incorrect wording of the original. Purdy, p.82 refers, but gives few details. All issues are now very scarce.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. Three notable stories. Love and peril, To be, or not to be, The melancholy hussar. Respectively by The Marquis of Lorne, K.G. [sic], Mrs. Alexander, Thomas Hardy. Copyright. The Standard Library Company, 15, Clerkenwell Road, N.D. [c.1892]. Post 8vo; cancel title-page of poor quality paper; diagonally fine ribbed grey cloth, embossed and blocked blind, lettered gilt, on front cover and spine, lettered blind on spine; glazed tan end-papers. Spine slightly faded; title-leaf embrowned; otherwise a very nice copy.
According to the blind-embossed lettering at the foot of the spine, issued as a volume of the ‘Enterprise Library'. Originally published by Spencer Blackett at 3/6d in June or July 1890 with a cancel title-page correcting ‘K.G.' to ‘K.T', the book was remaindered at 1/6d in March 1891 without the cancel being made. The present copy would appear to be one made up from sets of sheets sold off to a wholesaler, who bound it in house style, and provided it with his own title-page following the incorrect wording of the original. Purdy, p.82 refers, but does not note the present issue. All issues are now very scarce.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. BENJAMIN (E. Bedell). The two Victors. F.V. White and Co., Successors to Samuel Tinsley & Co., 31, Southampton Street, Strand, 1881. Cancel title; half-title not called for; pp.iv+324. BOUND WITH: CAUMONT (Mary). Uncle Antony's Note Book. F.V. White and Co., Successors to Samuel Tinsley & Co., 1881. Half-title not called for; title and conjugate Preface leaf (dated January 1, 1881) possibly cancels; pp.iv+152. BOUND WITH: CAMPBELL (Miss Montgomery). Amico's little girl. A Novel. F.V. White and Co., Successors to Samuel Tinsley & Co., 1881. Half-title not called for; cancel title-page; 2pp. integral Tinsley advertisements at end dated January, 1881; pp.[ii]+[254]+[ii]. Three volumes bound in one; publisher's diagonally fine ribbed red cloth blocked black on front cover, blind on back cover, blocked and lettered gilt on spine; yellow coated end-papers. Fine copy. Scarce.
Samuel Tinsley (not to be confused with the firm of Tinsley Brothers, who went bankrupt in 1878) was trading at 10, Southampton Street in (and possibly after) 1877. When White's took over his business in 1881 they evidently decided to clear off some of Tinsley's less attractive stock - including books that were only just being published! - but were faced with the problem of how best to accomplish this in respect of single volume novels at a time when remainder issues consisted generally of three-deckers put up three volumes in one. To remainder them individually would have been expensive both in terms of binding and of distribution, as well as unattractive to a public and trade used to the inexpensive purchase of the bulkier article. They therefore decided to treat them as though they were three-deckers, and issue them three titles in one, with the result that is apparent here. The spine of this volume is lettered, rather mysteriously: ‘The Two Victors. "A Bird in the Hand Is worth Two in the bush." Three stirring novels in one volume. Price fifteen shillings.'
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ANTHOLOGY. XX stories By XX Tellers By [as a round Robin:] Margaret Watson, John Hollingshead, Henry Herman, W. Moy Thomas, Barry Pain, Bracebridge Hemyng, Geo. Manville Fenn, H. Sutherland Edwards, F.W. Robinson, Brandon Thomas, Leopold Wagner, F.C. Burnand, W.S. Gilbert, A.W. Pinero, Justin M‘Carthy [sic], H. Savile Clarke, B.L. Farjeon, Robert Barr, W.W. Fenn, W. Beatty-Kingston. Edited by Leopold Wagner. London, T. Fisher Unwin, Paternoster Square, 1895. Title-page printed in red and black; blank at end; pp.xii+273+[iii]; orange buckram, blocked black, blocked and lettered green, on front cover, lettered black on spine; t.e. uncut, fore-edges rough trimmed. A few leaves somewhat roughly opened; two leaves foxed in margins; otherwise a brilliantly fine copy.
The Editor says in his Preface: "The stories here brought together make no pretence of being new". He goes on to give detailed acknowledgments, however, and these suggest that whilst eight of the stories are reprinted from books, the rest are either reprinted from periodicals (some of quite an ancient date) or are hitherto unpublished. Among these last would appear to be W.S. Gilbert's contribution, ‘Angela: An Inverted Love Story', for which Searle, p.88, is able to list no other printing. The Preface is also interesting in as much as it gives an apparently unnoticed contemporary view of the factors cobtributing to the decline of the three volume novel, arguing: "Time was when it was said, and generally believed, that the novelists of this country could not write short stories. Most certainly they exercised no inclination to try; or, if a few of them did so on occasion, they found their work lying unprofitably on their hands. The three-volume novel was the only kind of fiction that the British reading public cared to welcome. But Mr. Rudyard Kipling changed all that. The instant success of his Anglo-Indian stories created a demand for short stories, which has kept on growing to such an extent that we now find authors of the highest reputation turning out volumes of short stories in place of the three-volume novel which formally represented their average year's work. The direct tendency of this changed state of affairs is towards the gradual disappearance of the three-volume novel altogether. Since the introduction of the short story, the reading public have come to regard "padding" as an article of doubtful value." Certainly there was a sudden efflorescence of short story anthologies in England in or about the year 1891 . . . And on this view as well, the growth of an interest in French literature from the 1880s onwards might have functioned as a preparatory cause. In our experience a rare volume: not in Sadleir (whom it should have interested), or Wolff.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ARCHER (Thomas). Roderick Dhu, Clan-Alpine's Chief; Or, The Scottish Outlaw. A Romance, By Thomas Archer, Esq., Author of "Richard of England; or, The Lion King," &c., &c. G. Purkess, Compton Street, Soho, 1850. Numerous wood-engravings in the text, some signed Y. Arnold, the rest unsigned; pp.[ii]+454; contemporary half-roan, marbled boards. Head and tail of spine chipped and one corner worn; sides somewhat rubbed; one or two gatherings a little embrowned, and a very little light dusting and fingering passim; nonetheless, in general a nice copy.
Not in Sadleir or Wolff; Summers, p.482, gives the title, date, and publisher as here, but no author's name. Issued in 57 penny numbers.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
[ARDEN (Margaret Isabella)]. Rachel Longford; Or, Home and its teachings. By the author of "Sir Evelyn's Charge." London: William Hunt and Company, 12, Paternoster Row [and 28, Tavern Street, Ipswitch]. J.B. Bailey, Holles Street, Cavendish Square, 1877. Sm.cr.8vo; blank and conjugate half-title precede wood-engraved frontispiece and conjugate title leaf, with tissue guard; leaf bearing publisher's imprint on recto, blank on verso, followed by 28pp. publisher's integral advertisements (continuing the signatures) at end; pp.[viii (including frontispiece)]+306+[ii]+[28]; bevelled diagonally fine-ribbed bright blue cloth, ruled and blocked blind on back cover, ruled and blocked black and gilt, lettered bright blue through gilt, on front cover and spine, lettered gilt on spine; end-papers faced black. Cloth of spine a trifle darkened; inscription dated ‘Xmas 1877' on initial blank; otherwise a very nice copy of a scarce title.
Not in Sadleir or Wolff.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ARGENT (Sophie). Settling day: A Sketch from Life. T. Fisher Unwin, 26 Paternoster Square, 1884. Half-title a single inset leaf; pale grey cloth, ruled and blocked pictorially black, lettered gilt, on front cover, lettered gilt on spine; end-papers coated deep yellow. A very nice copy.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ARGUS (Arabella). Ostentation And Liberality. By Arabella Argus, Author of "The Juvenile Spectator," the "Adventures of a Donkey," And other works. [In two volumes.] William Darton, 58, Holborn Hill, Price Four Shillings and Sixpence, N.D. [1821]. 2 Vols. 12mo, gathered in half sheets, bound in one volume, as issued; steel engraved presentation leaf, and frontispiece, precede title-page; two engraved plates in volume one, one [ex three] in volume two; title-leaf probably a cancel (it ought to be [A1], but is on different paper from the rest of that gathering); bound up without the title-page to volume two (which should have been [B1] of that volume, the gathering consisting thereby of only five leaves); pp.216 (excluding presentation leaf); [3]-216; publisher's half dark red roan, marbled boards, burnished sprinkled edges. Marbled boards rubbed; otherwise a very nice copy.
Juvenile. Not in Sadleir or Wolff; Block, p.10, citing the British Library copy only. The present copy is bound identically with the two-volume in one British Library copy, and is internally identical with that except that the end-papers in the latter are faced with green tissue, whereas they here are white, the presentation leaf, though supplied with similar vignettes at head and tail, has a different text (‘Forget me not. Presented to [space] by [space]' instead of ‘A Tribute of Regard Presented by a Friend'), and that the British Library copy has two further plates. There is no list of plates but those here present are marked as relating to Vol.I pp.41 (marked also the Frontispiece to Vol.I), 68, and 177; and to Vol.II p.200 (marked also as the Frontispiece to Vol.II). That to Vol.I p.41 is here bound in as frontispiece, the others being placed according to the relevancies marked. The additional plates in the British Library copy are marked for pp.35 and 162 in Volume two, and are bound in at those openings. In the present copy there is evidence of loss. Osborne Catalogue, p.859, listing a copy of the two volume issue (title-pages dated 1820, plates dated 1821 as here), lacking two of the plates in volume one, but with a non-integral leaf of Darton advertisements at the end of each volume not called for in the one volume issue; and, at p.231, a copy of the two volume in one edition, with six plates, but without, apparently, the presentation leaf. Osborne gives high praise to the work of this author - and, in particular, this book.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ARNOLD (Edwin, M.A.). The Book of good counsels: From the Sanskrit Of the "Hitopadesa." With illustrations by Harrison Weir. Smith, Elder and Co., 65, Cornhill, 1861. Wood engraved frontispiece and three plates; pp.xii+167+[i (printer's imprint)]; green coarse morocco cloth, ruled and blocked blind on sides, blocked gilt, lettered gilt and green through gilt on front cover and spine, ruled gilt on spine; t.e. uncut, others rough trimmed; end-papers coated pale yellow. Re-cased, with neat restoration to tail of spine, and new end-papers (original front end-paper preserved); lacking frontispiece; scattered light dusting and marginal staining; a good copy only. As a reading copy.
Not in Sadleir or Wolff.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ARNOLD (Edwin Lester). The Constable of St. Nicholas. With a frontispiece by Stanley L. Wood. London, Chatto & Windus, Piccadilly, 1894. Two advertisement leaves precede half-title; half-tone frontispiece with tissue guard; pp.[viii]+263+[i (blank)]; publisher's inserted 32pp. catalogue at end, dated Sept.1893 and listing this title as ‘Shortly'; deep scarlet crushed-morocco cloth, blocked with publisher's initials device blind on back cover, blocked black, grey, olive green, and flesh pink, lettered black, on front cover, lettered gilt, and black, on spine; top- and fore- edges uncut, lower-edges rough trimmed; end-papers printed florally in grey. Small darkened patch at top-corner of spine; otherwise a fine copy.
Listed by the English Catalogue of Books as advertised in January 1894, but almost certainly published in the late Winter of 1893. The first binding. Not in Sadleir; Wolff, 183, listing a copy that is clearly secondary in pale blue diagonally very fine-ribbed cloth, lettered blind on front cover, gilt on spine, and without a catalogue.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ARTHUR (T.S.). Anna Lee: The maiden - the wife - the mother. A Tale. T. Nelson and Sons, Paternoster Row, 1868. Sm.f'cap 8vo; blank precedes half-title; wood-engraved frontispiece with tissue guard and conjugate letterpress title-page, on plate paper, precede decorated letterpress title-page on text-paper (this dated 1869); four wood engraved plates, all with tissue guards; 10pp. integral advertisements at end; deep cerise patterned sand grain cloth, ruled and blocked blind on sides and spine, blocked gilt, lettered deep cerise through gilt on front cover and spine, lettered gilt on spine; end-papers coated pale yellow. Minute chip from fore-margin of front end-paper, due to an original binding fault; contemporary inscription on front blank; otherwise an extremely fine, bright, copy of a very pretty book.
Juvenile. There is no list of plates, but they are marked for pp.43, 97, 139, and 236, and are bound in to face pp.44, 96, 140, and 236 respectively. The book was apparently issued in the autumn of 1868, but on the integral title-page dated ahead. This title not in Wright.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ASHBY-STERRY (J.). A tale of the Thames. With illustrations in verse By the author and fifteen Illustrations in black and White by W. Hatherell R.I. Bliss Sands & Co., 1896. Tall cr.8vo; half-tone frontispiece with tissue guard and fourteen plates; title-page printed in red and black; 4pp. integral advertisements at end; erratum slip tipped in before List of Illustrations; vertically fine ribbed blue cloth, blocked pictorially gilt on front cover, lettered gilt on spine; t.e.g., others uncut. Prelims. foxed, first few leaves slightly so; otherwise a nice copy.
Presentation copy, with the author's signed holograph inscription on the upper margin of the title-page.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ATHERTON (Gertrude). A daughter of The vine. Service and Paton, 5 Henrietta St., Covent Garden, 1899. Portrait frontispiece printed in sepia, with tissue guard; 4pp. integral John Lane and Service & Paton advertisements, followed by Service & Paton's inserted 16pp. catalogue at end; pale blue-green linen effect cloth, lettered, ruled, and elaborately blocked dark green on front cover and spine, blocked with publisher's monogram device dark green on back cover; lower-edges rough trimmed. Slight foxing of end-papers, but a near fine copy. Scarce.
Wright, 156, records an apparently similar edition as ‘London and New York: John Lane, the Bodley Head, 1899', that edition being printed in America, whereas the present edition is printed in England. The earlier works of Atherton were published in England by John Lane, but she had changed to Service & Paton with the publication of her last preceding work, ‘American Wives and English Husbands', as is evidenced by the advertisement leaves. Lane evidently had a hand in the placing of the work with Service & Paton, however, and we suspect that for copyright reasons it may have been issued first in England. One of two similar bindings, of undetermined precedence, the other being without the publisher's monogram on the back cover, and having the top-edges stained green, and the fore-edges rough, instead of fully, trimmed. The elaborate cover design is signed ‘F.R.K.'.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
ATHERTON (Gertrude). A daughter of The vine. Service and Paton, 5 Henrietta St., Covent Garden, 1899. Portrait frontispiece printed in sepia, with tissue guard; 4pp. integral John Lane and Service & Paton advertisements, followed by Service & Paton's inserted 16pp. catalogue at end; pale blue-green linen effect cloth, lettered, ruled, and elaborately blocked dark green on front cover and spine, t.e. dark green, fore- and lower-edges rough trimmed. Slight fading of spine; tissue foxed with offsetting onto title; slight foxing of end-papers and catalogue; otherwise a very nice copy. Scarce.
Wright, 156, records an apparently similar edition as ‘London and New York: John Lane, the Bodley Head, 1899', that edition being printed in America, whereas the present edition is printed in England. The earlier works of Atherton were published in England by John Lane, but she had changed to Service & Paton with the publication of her last preceding work, ‘American Wives and English Husbands', as is evidenced by the advertisement leaves. Lane evidently had a hand in the placing of the work with Service & Paton, however, and we suspect that for copyright reasons it may have been issued first in England. The present copy, with top-edges stained dark green instead of plain, fore-edges rough instead of fully trimmed, and with the back cover left plain instead of having the publisher's monogram blocked on it in dark green, represents a variant binding the issue status of which we have failed to determine. The elaborate cover design is signed ‘F.R.K.'.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
AUSTEN (Jane). [The Works. Six volumes in five, as issued, being Nos.23, 25, 27, 28, and 30 of Bentley's Standard Novels.] Richard Bentley, New Burlington Street, (Late Colburn and Bentley), 1833. Each volume with series title, engraved frontispiece and vignette title, letterpress title; 8pp. publisher's inserted catalogue precedes series title-page in volume 23; 24pp. publisher's inserted catalogue dated May, 1833 at end of volume 28; 4pp. integral advertisements at end of volume 27; glazed plum linen, black paper spine-labels, lettered gilt; t.e. uncut, others rough-trimmed. A reading set.
Sadleir, II, p.98 remarks on the scarcity of these five volumes as compared with the generality of the Standard Novels. This constitutes the First Uniform Edition of Jane Austen's novels, the sheets being utilised for the First Collected Edition, which was issued one month after the appearance of Volume 30.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
AUSTIN (Alfred). Five years of it. In two volumes. Vol. I. [only] J.F. Hope, 16, Great Marlborough Street, 1858. Post 8vo; half-title not present, and apparently not called for, at least in this issue; pp.[ii]+319+[i (blank)]; pinkish purple straight grain morocco cloth ruled and blocked blind on sides, ruled and lettered gilt on spine; t.e. uncut, fore-edges mainly trimmed; end-papers coated pale yellow. Spine faded and slightly worn at head and tail; front free end-paper removed; otherwise a nice copy.
Not in Wolff; Sadleir, 65, describes a copy, possibly Austin's own, in grey-blue morocco cloth, with an undated 12pp. publisher's catalogue inserted at end, and with two leaves of prelims. in volume one, but a title leaf only in volume two. Sadleir does not mention a half-title, so the extra leaf in volume one is presumably a dedication leaf. Though the front end-paper has been removed in the present copy, traces of it adhering to the gutter of the title-page suggest that no leaf could have been present between the two. Certainly likewise no leaf has been removed after the title leaf, and one can only conclude that no further preliminary leaf is called for here. The title leaf is on a different paper stock from the text.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
ROBERT TEMPLE BOOKSELLERS BIBLIOGRAPHICAL ARCHIVE, File C: Nineteenth Century General Fiction. All books first editions and first printings, except as stated.
AVERY (Anne). East Mascalls: or, Life To-Day. George Stoneman, N.D. [1894]. Fore-edges uncut; frontispiece; 1p. publisher's advertisements at end; half-title not called for. Very nice copy.
Click here to return to catalogue of books currently available
Click here to return to Homepage
[ CLICK HERE TO LOAD NEXT SECTION OF FILE ]
|