The Works of Rudyard Kipling (27 Volumes)

Garden City, New York: Doubleday, Page & Company, 1913 to 1926. Seven Seas Edition. Limited Edition All 27 volumes of this complete set are in fine to near fine condition in 1/2 tan, linen cloth and light gray paper covered boards with printed, paper title labels on the spines. Printed in red and black on title pages and first pages of stories and poems. A significant number of pages in each volume are unopened. Each volume is a small quarto of 9 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches with the top edges trimmed and all others untrimmed; a few of the volumes show minor losses to the paper title labels; and, bent board tips. There are red silk placeholders sewn in (truncated) at the heads of the spines. With the exception of volumes 24 and 25, each volume's limitation page is filled in with the set number. All pages are of handmade paper and watermarked with "R K" in the forward margins. Without dust jackets as issued. This production was limited to 1,050 sets all of which were signed by Rudyard Kipling in volume I. This set is identified as number 647. Laid-in at the front of volume II is an announcement, printed in red and black, from the publisher reading: "Whereas the Seven Seas edition of the works of Rudyard Kipling is limited to one thousand and fifty copies, this is to certify that the subscriptions having been entered in the order of their receipt _______ has secured the right to set no. 647. Volume I of which bearing Mr. Kipling's signature will appear early in 1914; volumes II-V being published during November and December, 1913 Doubleday, Page & Company". An extremely clean and handsome set with no prior ownership markings of any kind other than an occasional rough opening of a few pages which can be identified by errant edges at the top edges of the text blocks. Only one volume is illustrated (volume XVI) with 22 plates and multiple vignettes by the author. The last three volumes have green paper covered boards instead of the gray paper used for the majority of the volumes. (Richards, D15, p583) (Inventory #: TB33203)