Books

First edition of the author's classic novel celebrating the ethos of 19th-century English public schools. This copy was bound for the prominent London booksellers John and Edward Bumpus. They enjoyed a reputation for fine bindings from the foundation of the firm in 1780 until the 20th century, the majority of their books bound by fine binders such as Rivière and Sangorski & Sutcliffe. The novel's popularity "must be linked to its powerful structuring myth in which Rugby School is England, and the experience of the boy, learning self-reliance so that authority may be delegated to him, symbolizes the experience of the man of the governing class … The novel's opening paragraphs constitute one of the great evocations of Englishness … Vivid scenes of the trouncing of bullies, and the glories of the cricket and football fields, enliven the narrative, which also has much emphasis on boxing, for Hughes believed passionately in the healthiness and manliness of a fair fight" (ODNB). Provenance: with the armorial bookplate to front pastedowns of Sir David Salomons (1797-1873), first Jewish Sheriff of the City of London, Lord Mayor of London, and founder of the London and Westminster Bank (now NatWest). Octavo (185 x 126 mm). Contemporary tan calf for J. & E. Bumpus, spine with raised bands, compartments tooled in gilt, green and brown morocco labels, covers ruled in gilt with floral ornaments to corners, gilt fillet to board edges, turn-ins decorated in gilt, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, red silk bookmarker. With original blue cloth covers and spine bound in at rear. Neat contemporary annotations to front free endpaper verso, including price of binding (2 pounds, 10 shillings, 0 pence), old catalogue description pasted on an initial binder's blank. Spine only slightly faded, minor scuffs to leather, superficial splits to front inner hinge, but firm, peripheral browning to free endpapers, faint foxing to outer leaves, sporadic marks to contents, but generally clean. A very good copy, presenting attractively. .