The Complete Works of Thomas Lovell Beddoes [1928 Fanfrolico Press] [Limited Edition #251/750] [Two-Volume Set]

London: Fanfrolico Press, 1928. Very Good/No Dust Jacket, As Issued.
THE LAST ELIZABETHAN of the MACABRE
A stunning private press production of the complete works of Thomas Lovell Beddoes, the 19th-century 'Physician-Poet' whose obsession with mortality earned him a cult following.

Edited by the legendary Edmund Gosse, this edition is the definitive monument to a writer who Lytton Strachey called 'the last Elizabethan' Published by the avant-garde Fanfrolico Press in their final year of operation, the set is a masterclass in gothic book design, utilizing the grim aesthetics of the 16th century to frame Beddoes' haunting 19th-century verse.

PHYSICAL FEATURES: Quarter-cloth over distinctive patterned boards with original printed paper spine labels; a tall, imposing 4to format (10.25 inches). Features a frontispiece portrait and textual illustrations throughout, meticulously reproduced from Hans Holbein's The Dance of Death-the perfect visual counterpart to Beddoes' preoccupation with the grave.
+++ Press Heritage: A cornerstone title from the Fanfrolico Press, founded by Australian rebel Jack Lindsay to challenge London's moral standards with high-art, bold-content publishing.
+++ Scarcity: Limited to only 750 numbered copies (#251).

CONDITION: Near Fine -- An exceptionally well-preserved set. The cloth-backed patterned boards are tight and square with minor scuffing to the edges. Internals are clean with light, even toning and faint staining to the text block edges. Spine labels are intact and legible. A superior example of a set often found with heavy wear. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE --
Beddoes lived a life as dark as his poetry, eventually committing suicide in Switzerland by poison. His work-particularly Death's Jest-Book-is a bridge between the Romantic era and the Decadent movement. This Fanfrolico edition rescued him from obscurity, presenting his 'thought-provoking linguistic tapestry' in a format that mirrors his own anatomical and spiritual curiosities.

SUBJECTS: Private Press, Gothic Poetry, Hans Holbein, Dance of Death, 19th Century Literature, Jack Lindsay, Limited Edition, Illustrated Books, Fine Press.