London and Middlesex; or, an Historical, Commercial, and Descriptive Survey of the Metropolis of Great-Britain: including Sketches of its Environs, and a Topographical Account of the Most Remarkable Places in the Above County.(5 vols.) (Anthony Trollope's personal set)

This comprehensive study of London and its surroundings was a massive undertaking by Edward Wedlake Brayley and his colleagues as part of their even more massive The Beauties of England and Wales. The volumes are valuable in and of themselves, but this set is unique, in that the volumes are from the personal library of the famous Victorian author, Anthony Trollope and each of the five volumes bears his armorial bookplate on the front pastedown. The set consists of: 1. London and Middlesex, by Edward Wedlake Brayley, Volume I, 1810 2. London and Middlesex, by Edward Wedlake Brayley, Volume I I, 1814 3. London and Middlesex, by The Rev. Joseph Nightinigale, Vol. III, Part I, 1815 4. Westminster, by The Rev. Joseph Nightinigale, Vol. III, Part II, 1815 5. London and Middlesex, by J. Norris Brewer, Vol. IV, 1816 Although the complete series of The Beauties of England and Wales contains many more volumes for the rest of the counties, these are the volumes that pertain to London, which was the scene of so many of Trollope's novels, particularly his Palliser series. It is highly likely that he used these volumes to provide inspiration and color to his descriptions of the city. All the volumes are very good, bound in full leather with gilt titles and designs on the spines with gilt borders on both covers and marbled edges all around. The bindings are quite sound, particularly given how heavy each volume is. The attractive marbled endpapers appear to have been renewed. (See photo). GM21.…