History

First edition of the first series; 3 vols, 8vo (232 x 170 mm); 40 half-tone plates including frontispieces, with tissue-guards, memorial bookplate (assumed to Queen Victoria) to each upper paste-down with resultant offsetting to opposite endpaper, slight bumping creases affecting top right-hand corner of margin (not text) of some leaves towards the end of vol. I, otherwise internally fine, publisher's orange and cream cloth gilt, top edges gilt, spines and front cover of vol. I faded, corners bumped and a little bowed, spine-ends bumped but in all a very good, internally bright set indeed, with no staining or foxing; xix, 641pp.; xvi, 575pp.; xi, 660pp., +4 folding pedigree charts.