The Old Book Collector’s Miscellany: or, A Collection of Readable Reprints of Literary Rarities: A rare complete presentation set, printed on blue paper

The Old Book Collectors Miscellany: or, A Collection of Readable Reprints of Literary Rarities, Illustrative of the History, Literature, Manners, and Biography of the English Nation During the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries 1871 1873. Three volumes. Octavo. Uniformly rebound in red cloth (mid-20th century institutional rebinding), retaining original blue paper stock throughout. A rare complete set, with Volume I formally certified as one of only twelve copies printed on coloured paper. The certification page dated 30 September 1871 is signed by Charles Hindley, editor, and A. M. Robinson the printer, and includes the Strand address associated with Reeves & Turner. The publishers name is left blank, suggesting semi private distribution. Volumes II (1872) and III (1873) are also printed on blue paper, though no limitation or certification statement accompanies them. Their inclusion on coloured stock is unrecorded and bibliographically curious, especially given the staggered publication dates. It is possible that Hindley or his printer chose to continue the coloured paper format for consistency or presentation purposes, though no formal documentation confirms this. The result is a unique matched set, with all three volumes printed on blue paper an anomaly not previously recorded in institutional holdings. Volume II includes a printed dedication to John Cordy Burrows, J.P., past Mayor of Brighton. Volume III, though undedicated, matches the format and stock of the preceding volumes, suggesting intentional continuity. Each volume bears a Blackburn Public Libraries reference label (Class 820, No. 3479 etc.), affixed during institutional rebinding. The set was formerly held in the Reference Library and shows signs of careful preservation. All three volumes contain a handwritten signature: W. Ainsworth, in ink, Identity undetermined. Contents include reprints of 16th 17th century literary ephemera, including The Belman of London, The Cobler of Caunterburie, and The Merry Tales of Skelton. Hindleys editorial approach favored accessibility and popular appeal, though this set produced in a limited run and distributed to civic figures demonstrates a deliberate effort to elevate his work through presentation printing. A remarkably complete and institutionally preserved example of a scarce limited issue. The presence of blue paper across all three volumes, despite certification for Volume I only, makes this set bibliographically unique and worthy of further research. Provenance: Blackburn Public Libraries (Reference Library); private collection. Condition: Very good. Clean institutional rebinding; blue paper stock intact and in parts faded; minor foxing to endpapers; labels and signatures legible. Reference library bookplate and stamps in each volume. Feel free to contact us for a detailed account of this books provenance.…