THEIR MAJESTIES' SERVANTS. ANNALS OF THE ENGLISH STAGE FROM THOMAS BETTERTON TO EDMUND KEAN by Dr DORAN F.S.A. Edited and Revised by Robert W Lowe With Fifty Copper-Plate Portraits and Eighty Wood-Engravings In Three Volumes [With 50 Copper-Plate Portraits, 56 Illustrations on Wood, 25 Tailpices on Wood, and EXTRA-ILLUSTRATED with 182 Portrait, Landscape and Dramatic Plates - in THREE VOLUMES]

London: John C. Nimmo, 1888. With fifty copperplate portraits and eighty-one wood engravings. Engraved frontispieces and plates and wood-engraved text illustrations, extra illustrated with 182 plates, mainly engraved portraits, crushed crimson morocco gilt binding by Tout & Sons, spines gilt in compartments, top edges gilt, with the spines repaired and the original spines laid on. Not the limited edition set. In three volumes. Bound in full leather by Tout with the binders mark on the front paste down in gilt on the leather. Three large octavo volumes (9 7/8 x 6 5/16 inches; 25.1 x 16.1 cm.). Extra-illustrated books are published texts that have been made into a unique copy by a former owner through the permanent addition of prints, autographs, letters, etc. Typically, the additions are mounted on additional leaves, and the book is rebound to accommodate its increased thickness. Extra illustrations primarily serve as visual and verbal annotations to a text rather than decoration: the extra-illustrator identifies significant people, places, and things mentioned in the book (even if only mentioned in passing), collects related material, and adds it in the appropriate spot. Wood-engraved tail-piece vignettes. Original spines decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments, top edges gilt, marbled endpapers. The original spines laid down on new (repaired) leather spines to each volume. Pagination: Vol I - x, [xi-xiv], 436pp, with 16 copper-plate portraits, 18 illustrations on wood, and 6 tailpieces, with 53 additional portrait plates; Vol II - vi, [vii-x], 414pp, 16 copper-plate portraits, 22 illustrations on wood, and 11 tailpieces, with 52 additional portrait, landscape and dramatic plates; Vol III - vi, [vii-x], 428pp, 18 copper-plate portraits, 16 illustrations on wood, and 8 tailpieces, with 77 additional portrait plates. With a total of 50 Copper-plate Portraits, 56 Illustrations on wood, 25 tailpieces on wood and 182 additional plates. Provenance: from the library of RC Fiske with his bookplate to the front. Approximately 9 inches tall (22.5cm). Condition Report Externally Spine good condition sound and repaired, colour has retained well on the original spines, new leather spine with the original spine laid on. Joints good condition repaired and solid, but in lighter coloure leather. Corners good condition repaired or worn and bumped. Boards good condition marks and scratches, gilt decorated. Page edges good condition top edge gilt, others tanned and foxed. See above and photos. Internally Hinges good condition repaired. Paste downs good condition with the binder s mark, in gilt, to the base of the front board and a bookplate to each volume. End paper good condition marbled paper, one corner torn off the rear end paper to the rear of Vol II. Title good condition gently tanned. Pages good condition gently tanned. Binding good condition, solid, repaired. See photos.…