NOVELS OF JANE AUSTEN WINCHESTER EDITION - 12 VOL. SET - FINE POLISHED LEATHER - PROVENANCE Jane Austen

COMPLETE 12-VOLUME SET OF THE PRESTIGIOUS WINCHESTER EDITION OF THE COMPLETE WORKS OF JANE AUSTEN IN 1/2 POLISHED CALF FINE BINDING The preferred 1911-12 Winchester Edition, complete in 12 Volumes. Considered the finest of the non-illustrative sets of Jane Austen's works during the Victorian and Edwardian periods. Printed by T. and A. Constable, the official Royal Printer, for the publisher. This set was finely bound close to its publication date by Henry Sotheran, a renowned antiquarian book shop in England and the official publisher and binder for both King Edward VII and his successor King George V. OVERALL CONDITION: All 12 volumes are in VERY GOOD+ condition. Octavo, 8.5" x 6". Fine 1/2 polished calf binding: In a striking early 20th century English period 1/2 blue polished calf over finely woven blue cloth with each cover ruled in gilt. Five-ribbed gilded spine bands with compartments cleanly tooled with gilt paneling. Top edge gilt, other edges trimmed. Marbled endpapers. Each volume with a sewn-in royal purple satin ribbon placeholder. Thick, high-quality woven paper. Collated and complete, including original blank flyleaves, half-titles and "Winchester edition" page. Frontispiece of Jane Austen in Volume I. Title pages in red and black featuring a Jane Austen "JA" vignette monogram. Sense and Sensibility - Volumes 1 & 2 Pride and Prejudice - Volumes 3 & 4 Mansfield Park - Volumes 5 & 6 Emma - Volumes 7 & 8 Northanger Abbey - Volume 9 Persuasion - Volume 10 Lady Susan Letters - Volume 11 Letters - Volume 12 ABOUT THE BINDER OF THIS BEAUTIFUL SET H. Sotheran & Co., now known as Henry Sotheran Ltd., is a renowned antiquarian bookshop in London, England, with roots tracing back to its founding in York in 1761 and establishment in London in 1815, making it one of the oldest continuously operating and the oldest antiquarian bookshop in the world. In 1901, it was granted the Royal warrant of appointment as booksellers and bookbinders to King Edward VII, renewed by George V in 1910. PROVENANCE Mark Hanbury Beaufoy JP (September 1854--November 1922) was an English vinegar manufacturer and Liberal member of British parliament. He wrote A Father's Advice, a famous piece of verse about gun safety. Beaufoy supported the introduction of the eight-hour day for all employees and introduced it in his own vinegar works at Lambeth. In 1881, he helped found the Church of England Central Society for Providing Homes for Waifs and Strays. The object of the new organization was "to rescue and care for children who are orphaned, homeless, cruelly treated or in moral danger, and to relieve over-burdened homes". A Liberal in politics, Beaufoy was elected as member of parliament for the Kennington division of the Metropolitan Borough of Lambeth in 1889, holding the seat until 1895. Throughout the English-speaking world, shooting people are familiar with Beaufoy's verses on gun safety called A Father's Advice, of which follows an excerpt: "If a sportsman true you'd be Listen carefully to me: Never, never, let your gun Pointed be at anyone." CONDITION DESCRIPTION: VG+ All 12 volumes are strongly bound with square spines, firm hinges and joints and tight pages. 97%+ of the gilding is intact and the boards are colorful. The spines have been sunned to a green-blue of various shades with the exception of Volume IV which retains most of its original blue coloring (see first picture). Light rubbing to spines, board edges and corners, rubbing and light scratches to front and rear covers commensurate with over 100-years-of-age. Each volume has the armorial bookplate of Beaufoy attached to the front pastedown. A few volumes have evidence of light pencil erasure on a preliminary page. Light foxing to fore-edges and first few pages of each volume. The pages are clean and bright, retaining their original fresh cream hue with only a few instances of light smudge marks or other minimal sign of handling.