The Court Album: A Series of Portraits of the Female Aristocracy — 1st Ed

£170.00

The Court Album: A Series of Portraits of the Female Aristocracy — 1st Ed

Name: The Court Album: A Series of Portraits of the Female Aristocracy — 1st Ed
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 5183
Price: 170.00 GBP
Availability: InStock

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£170.00

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Publication: London, David Bogue, 1856

Formatting: 4to, unpaginated.

Condition Report: Near Fine. The publisher’s original green cloth remains remarkably vibrant, with the elaborate gilt and blind stamping to the front board presenting as brilliantly unoxidised and sharp, reflecting minimal handling. The spine ends and corner tips exhibit only the faintest traces of superficial shelf-wear, while the heavy bevelled boards remain perfectly rigid and true. The binding itself is sound and square, holding the text block firmly without any of the sagging typically seen in heavy Victorian gift books. Internally, the yellow coated endpapers are well-preserved, bearing a single neat ownership signature to the front free endpaper, alongside some mild, scattered foxing primarily confined to the preliminary leaves and margins, which is customary for the heavy plate paper of this era. The text block's gilt edges remain exceptionally bright and unmarred, capping off a superlative survival of a delicate nineteenth-century production.

Catalogue Note: This volume is an exceptional example of Victorian gift-book publishing, featuring a striking publisher's green cloth binding designed by the celebrated artist John Leighton. His iconic 'JL' monogram is discreetly incorporated into the intricate gilt tooling on the lower portion of the front board's central design. The boards are heavily bevelled, reflecting the premium nature of this production.

The work is profusely illustrated with high-quality steel engravings, portraits of the female aristocracy, typically engraved by leading artists of the period after drawings by John Hayter, with the text printed by Thomas Harrild. A neat contemporary ownership signature ("Hesketh") is present in ink on the front free endpaper. While individual detached plates from this series frequently circulate on the open market, finding intact, bound editions from this specific year in such a remarkable state of preservation is distinctly uncommon.

A quintessential Victorian 'drawing-room book', The Court Album was an annual publication that offered an exclusive glimpse into the highest echelons of British society. This edition presents a series of exquisite steel-engraved portraits of the era's most prominent female aristocrats, accompanied by biographical sketches and genealogical histories. Designed to be displayed and admired, volumes such as this were highly fashionable symbols of taste and gentility in the mid-nineteenth century, blending exceptional artistic engraving with the era's fascination with nobility and courtly life.

Book Condition: Near Fine

Book Authors: N/A

Book Publisher: David Bogue

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Antiquarian

Genre: History

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages:

Book Publication Year: 1856

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Cloth

Illustrator: John Hayter

Book Series: The Court Album

Country/region of manufacture: London, United Kingdom

Book Dimensions:

Book Condition Guide

We stock thousands of books in a wide range of conditions. To make things clear and to help you know exactly what to expect, Please refer to these condition categories to understand the condition of the book you will receive.

Condition	Description
New	A brand-new, unread and professionally handled book. Carefully preserved from publication to purchase, these books are offered in the best attainable condition. This grade applies to recently published titles that have not entered long-term storage.
As New	The book is in pristine, original condition as if just published. No signs of use or handling. The dust jacket (if present) is equally flawless. This grade applies to any book that has remained untouched in storage for years.
Fine	The book is close to As New. It remains bright and attractive, but could show minor imperfections to the boards and/or dust jacket (if present). Its pages are typically clean and unmarked.
Near Fine	The book has a number of small flaws, i.e. slight rubbing to the edges, or tiny chips or creases to the dust jacket (if present). Its pages may have faint marks, or creases that are barely perceptible — nothing that detracts from their overall condition.
Very Good	The book maintains its structural integrity, and has no major flaws such as tears to its binding or pages. It may, however, show signs of careful use, handling, or storage — small marks and creases, light foxing. Its dust jacket (if present) remains fully intact, but small tears may be present.
Good	A book that remains intact and readable with complete text pages, but shows moderate signs of wear and use to both the book and dust jacket (if present). It may have noticeable creases, nicks, or stains, and the spine likely shows fading, bumping, and rubbing. There could be writing, underlining, and other marks on some pages, though the majority will be clean and tidy.
Fair	A book with significant wear or damage. The text pages will be complete, but there may be heavy underlining, highlighting and staining throughout, and the book’s endpapers, half-title, and copyright pages could be damaged or missing. The binding could be loose, and the dust jacket (if present) may have notable scuffs or tears. These copies are usually of interest for content, signature(s) or scarcity.
Poor	A heavily worn book whose value lies in its complete and legible text. A poor book will have substantial defects — loose joints or hinges, detached covers, loose and/or missing pages, and could be heavily soiled. A poor book is also known as a reading copy, and although compromised, can hold historical or bibliographic significance.