Books

London: F.S. Ellis, 1870. First Edition. original boards. Very good. 1st edition. 1 of 12 (maybe 13) on fine paper in an unrecorded binding of the publisher’s blue paper boards, white paper spine with no label. Top edge rough trimmed, other edges uncut. Front hinge split but holding, top and bottom edge of the spine perished, some scuffs and stains to the boards and wear to extremities. Ownership signature to front free endpaper, toning to the pastedowns and endpapers., else very good. Unrestored. Custom cloth box. 12 copies of Poems were printed on fine paper with a cloth binding designed by Rossetti, specifically intended for author presentation. Then an additional 25 were printed on large paper and bound in blue paper boards like this copy, which, according to Thomas Wise (Ashley IV 131-132), were sold, not held for the author. We can’t say for sure where this copy came from—it could have been a sample or trial copy, left over sheets subsequently bound by the publisher, or…