A GROUP OF NOBLE DAMES (First edition, in Charles Ricketts-designed binding)

Thomas Hardy

Published by James R. Osgood, McIlvaine, and Co., 45 Albemarle Street, London, 1891

About this Item

First impression of the true first edition, in the Charles Ricketts-designed decorative binding. ***Very good in cream cloth-covered boards with gilt titles and design to the spine and front board. Top edge of text-block rough-cut (as called for). Boards show some wear and marks commensurate with age and handling. Head and tail of spine rubbed and creased, but with no tears to the fragile cloth. Corners slightly rubbed, with the top corners slightly creased. Internally the book is also very good, with a neat contemporaneous gift inscription in fountain-pen ink on the front free endpaper 'Mama from Gwen'. There is none of the usual foxing to the pale-yellow paper endpapers and the interior pages are clean. No creases or tears. The binding is secure and not shaken. No splitting. Spine tight. ***195mm x135mm. 271 pages. ***'""A Group of Noble Dames" is an 1891 collection of short stories written by English author Thomas Hardy. The stories are contained by a frame narrative in which ten members of a club each tell one story about a noble dame in the 17th or 18th century. Hardy included this work with his "Romances and fantasies". Part I - Before Dinner: The First Countess of Wessex by the local historian, Barbara of the House of Grebe by the old surgeon, The Marchioness of Stonehenge by the rural dean, Lady Mottisfont by the sentimental member. Part II - After Dinner: The Lady Icenway by the churchwarden, Squire Petrick?s Lady by the crimson maltster, Anna, Lady Baxby by the colonel, The Lady Penelope by the man of family, The Duchess Of Hamptonshire by the quiet gentleman, The Honourable Laura by the spark. All ten stories were published in serial magazines before Hardy collected them into book form. "The Duchess of Hamptonshire" and "The Honourable Laura" were written relatively early in Hardy's career, in 1878 and 1881 respectively. "The First Countess of Wessex" and "The Lady Penelope" were written in 1888-89. Hardy revised all four of these stories significantly before adding them to the collection in 1891. The remaining six stories were written in early 1890 and published in bowdlerised form in a special Christmas number of The Graphic in December 1890. Hardy collected all ten stories together for the first time in A Group of Noble Dames, which was published in England by Osgood, McIlvaine, & Co. and in America by Harper & Brothers in 1891. The critical reception of the book was mixed.' (Wik) ***A true first edition, in its original gilt decorated cloth-covered boards, in very nice condition for a book that is now 130 years old. Of interest to collectors of antiquarian literature and in particular Thomas Hardy first edition titles. Very uncommon to find in the original publisher's binding in such clean collectable condition. A collector's copy. ***For all our books, postage is charged at cost, allowing for packaging: any shipping rates indicated on ABE are an average only: we will reduce the P & P charge where appropriate - please contact us for postal rates for heavier books and sets etc. Seller Inventory # 7925x

Bibliographic Details

Title: A GROUP OF NOBLE DAMES (First edition, in ...

Publisher: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine, and Co., 45 Albemarle Street, London

Publication Date: 1891

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

Dust Jacket Condition: No Jacket

Edition: First Edition