THE DALZIEL-DE BEAUMONT COPY
 
First edition, the Edward Dalziel - Robin De Beaumont copy. Quarto. Publisher’s binding of gold paper, decorated in red, green and blue. De Beaumont notes that this is the first issue binding, with later issues on yellow paper. All edges gilt.
 
A very good example of this rare and elaborate publisher’s binding. Sometime rebacked, with the spine relaid, missing some segments of the spine.
 
The book contains sixty plates, the sixty-first listed plate, a bookbinding design, is the front cover.
 
PROVENANCE: Edward Dalziel (1817-1905), engraver, his elaborate gold bookplate to front pastedown; Robin De Beaumont (1926-2023), book collector, his bookplate to front pastedown, and pencil annotations to front free endpaper verso.