The Novels and Tales of Henry James (New York Edition).
London: Macmillan and Co., Ltd, 1907-13. 8vo. 24 volumes, set. First editions. Original green buckram with lettering and floral design in gilt to the spines and a gilt embossed floral roundel on the front boards. Top edges gilt, others untrimmed. Tissue-guarded photogravure frontispiece to each volume by Alvin Langdon Coburn. Spines uniformly faded and a little dulled. Some wear to the spine tops on most volumes. Volumes XIII to XVI have some short splits to the cloth along the hinges, not affecting the strength of the binding. There are a couple of rust coloured marks to the back cover of volume XI. Endpapers tanned and each volume has the attractive bookplate of Vernon Brown to the front pastedown. Volume X has the ink ownership of 'C.M. Duckham 1910' in addition. Very good +. Item #5288
Volume I has a portrait frontispiece of the author and the other volumes feature atmospheric images by Alvin Langdon Coburn. James wrote eighteen prefaces and revised the texts of most of his earlier fiction, eliminating entirely such well-known works as Washington Square and The Europeans. His hopes for a critical and commercial success for this collected edition were unrealised in his lifetime but the set remains an important record of what he wished preserved. He died in 1916.
Price: £1,450.00