Costumes of British Ladies from the time of William the 1st to the reign of Queen Victoria

London: Dickenson & Son. Full Morocco. Near Fine. N.d., circa 1840. Folio, 48 hand-colored lithographed plates, some heightened in gilt, all mounted on card, as originally issued. Each accompanied by brief caption relating to authorities upon which illustration was based, and this caption is on separate leaf's verso, and there is a tissue guard sheet between this and the related plate. Title page with lovely hand-colored floral border. Followed by list of subscribers, which contains 171 names, and this must surely have been the extent of the entire issue since copies are extremely scarce. (Obviously the book has been mined many times as a breaker (truncated) for plates.) The original gutta percha binding has been replaced with a sewn casing that is far more durable. Modern green full morocco and marbled endpapers. Gilt edges. Offsetting onto tissues. Small discreet library stamp on versos of plates -- otherwise no signs of ex-library whatsoever. Very occasional light fox marks. (Inventory #: 001557)