The Poetical Works of Henry Kirke White — 1st Aldine Edition

£140.00

The Poetical Works of Henry Kirke White — 1st Aldine Edition

Name: The Poetical Works of Henry Kirke White — 1st Aldine Edition
Brand: Broadhursts Books
SKU: 4924
Price: 140.00 GBP
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Publication: London, William Pickering, 1830

Formatting: 8vo, pp. lviii, 252.

Condition Report: Very Good. A handsome and robustly bound copy, encased in full dark morocco leather. The boards display minor rubbing to the extremities and some light wear to the corners and joints, but the binding remains tight and structurally sound. The elaborate gilt tooling, notably the central lyre vignette on the boards and the ornate scrollwork on the spine, remains bright and unoxidised. Internally, the book is tightly bound with no splitting. There is a mid-nineteenth-century gift inscription to the front flyleaf. The preliminary pages, including the engraved frontispiece and title page, exhibit the mild, scattered foxing and offsetting typical of the era, but the main text block remains crisp, clean, and highly readable. All edges gilt. A very pleasing, well-preserved copy.

Catalogue Note: This is the first Aldine edition of the text, issued as part of the highly regarded 'Aldine Edition of the British Poets' series. This ambitious undertaking sought to provide authoritative and elegantly printed editions of classic British poets. The text includes a prefatory memoir of the author, edited by Sir Harris Nicolas.

The volume is notably adorned with an engraved frontispiece portrait of Kirke White, and the title page bears the famous Aldine device, an anchor and dolphin, adopted to symbolise a strict commitment to the high typographical standards of the Renaissance Aldine Press.

While standard cloth-bound copies of this series regularly appear on the open market, this specific volume is elevated by its contemporary, finely executed full morocco binding. The prominent gilt lyre device on the boards and the intricate spine tooling suggest a bespoke presentation binding. The front flyleaf bears a charming piece of historic provenance: an inscription reading, "Jane Archer with the affectionate regards of her friend Charles Birch Sept. 1844."

Henry Kirke White (1785–1806) was a young English poet whose early brilliance and tragic death at the age of twenty-one secured him a lasting, romanticised legacy in nineteenth-century literature. Admired by contemporaries such as Lord Byron and Robert Southey, who vigorously championed his posthumous works, White's poetry is characterised by its melancholic introspection, deep piety, and sensitive appreciation of the natural world. This collection gathers his most celebrated verses, including 'Clifton Grove', offering a poignant glimpse into the mind of a promising literary talent cut tragically short.

Book Condition: Very Good

Book Authors: Henry Kirke White

Book Publisher: William Pickering

Book Language: English

Narrative Type: Antiquarian

Genre: Poetry

Book edition: First Edition

Signed: No

Book Pages: 310

Book Publication Year: 1830

Book Publication Date:

Book Binding: Hardcover

Illustrator: H. Robinson

Book Series: Aldine Edition of the British Poets

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.