AUSTEN, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. With a preface by George Saintbury and illustrations by Hugh Thomson. London: George Allen. 1894. Small 8vo, 5 × 7.5 inches. 476pp. First edition, first printing of the ‘peacock edition’. Green cloth with elaborate gilt design covering the front board and spine, all edges gilt, with tissue-guarded frontispiece and some 160 illustrations by Thomson. A very good to near fine example, the cloth very gently rubbed to spine tips and four board corners, the binding tight, firm, gently rolled, and just slightly over-opened at gutter of preface p. xvi. Small and faint mark to the front board, the spine a trifle dulled, but externally very presentable indeed. Small ink signature to frontispiece verso, the tissue guard slightly toned at extremities, else fine throughout with virtually no marks therein. In entirely original condition, scarce thus.
A splendid example of this most desirable volume of Austen’s famous novel, which, with Thomson’s impeccable peacock design, is a cornerstone of late Victorian book design and production. One of Austen’s canonical novels, it was first published in three volumes in January 1813. Yet this edition, published almost a century later, has become probably the most recognisable and certainly one of the most collectible editions of the work.
AUSTEN, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. With a preface by George Saintbury and illustrations by Hugh Thomson. London: George Allen. 1894. Small 8vo, 5 × 7.5 inches. 476pp. First edition, first printing of the ‘peacock edition’. Green cloth with elaborate gilt design covering the front board and spine, all edges gilt, with tissue-guarded frontispiece and some 160 illustrations by Thomson. A very good to near fine example, the cloth very gently rubbed to spine tips and four board corners, the binding tight, firm, gently rolled, and just slightly over-opened at gutter of preface p. xvi. Small and faint mark to the front board, the spine a trifle dulled, but externally very presentable indeed. Small ink signature to frontispiece verso, the tissue guard slightly toned at extremities, else fine throughout with virtually no marks therein. In entirely original condition, scarce thus.
A splendid example of this most desirable volume of Austen’s famous novel, which, with Thomson’s impeccable peacock design, is a cornerstone of late Victorian book design and production. One of Austen’s canonical novels, it was first published in three volumes in January 1813. Yet this edition, published almost a century later, has become probably the most recognisable and certainly one of the most collectible editions of the work.
