Miniature Library of The Poets. [in Oak Case with rolling tambour front shutter] Works of Shakespeare, and Poems of Burns, Byron, Longfellow, Milton, Scott, Sheridan & Goldsmith. Kent & Co., W. Paternoster Row, London. 1884-90

Regular price: £1,000.00
Sale price: £1,000.00
Regular price
Unit price: per

Twenty-four near miniature hardback volumes in wooden oak case and original black hand-stencilled title "Miniature Library of the Poets". This complete set comprises of the works of Shakespeare in 12 volumes and the poems of Burns, Byron, Longfellow, Milton, Scott, Sheridan & Goldsmith, each in two volumes. Some minor offsetting to preliminary pages, else pages all clean bright and tight. Book sizes each approx 7.5 x 10.5 cm. Uniformly bound in original full blue cloth with gilt lettering to spines. Single embossed border to front and back covers. All edges gilt. Decorative floral patterned endpapers. Books all clean and smart. Some minor rubbing to cloth on ends of spines. Housed in the original roll-front wooden miniature bookcase (326 x 239 x 123 mm). Polished oak wood case with single shelf and rolling tambour front shutter. Pedestal base and top, with original black lettering. In very good condition with very good wooden case (case in very good condition, door moves freely open and closed). An enchanting presentation set in its functional and attractive cabinet. It is believed that a quarter of a million of Kent's Miniature Library of the Poets were bought in five years in the 1880's; but most of those were bought in smaller sets and only a slim proportion were sold in their own presentation oak bookcases with tambour shuttered doors. Few of these beautiful miniature libraries have survived in such original condition. Seller Inventory 154 firsts2024