History of the Orders of Knighthood of the British Empire;

London: Maddox St: John Hunter, 1842. First Edition . Hardcover. Very Good. Folio - over 12 - 15" tall. MADLEY. BAXYER.. 4 vols, VG, 1842, 26 pls. First editions, in half black morocco with black morocco cloth, some blind tooling, corners & edges a little bumped & worn. Rebacked, old spines laid down, gilt titles, raised bands, blind tooling. Internally, red marbled endpapers, hinges strengthened, NO inscriptions. 26 wonderful plates, which includes the 4 important coloured portrait plates, has in excess of 56 illustrations within text. Volume 1, has the important coloured frontis tp by G Baxter a little chipped at edges, some light spotting to verso, title page in red and black ink, [6], (xvi), [2], (lxxxviii), (iii), [3], (ii), [1], 2-266 pp (With 2*39 page, 2*40, 2* 41, 2*42, 2*43, 2*44, 2*45 and 2*46 pp), 2 pls (Portrait plate at p3). Volume 2, (4), 267-515pp, (lx), (lix-lx), (xix-lvii), li-xc), (lxxxi-cxi) double pagination at 2*335, 2*336, 2*337, and 2*338, 4 plates (pages, 345, 352, 355 & 377). Volume 3, [6], 4-83 pp, [1], [3], (iv-xxxvi), (iv), [5], 4-194 pp, 193-276 pp, (cv), [1], (viii), 8 plates (including 2 portraits, pages 164, 165, 194, 195, 197, 199 + 2, & 3) Volume 4, [7], 4-92 pp, (xxvi), (iv), [3], 4-100 pp, (xxi), [1], (iii), [6], 4-56 pp, [2], (xl), [3], 4-24 pp, (v), [6], 4-28 pp, [3], (iv-xviii), [1], 2-16 pp, (xcii), 12 plates (including 1 portrait, (pages 61, 62, 73, 73, 74, 23, 35, 15, 17, 18, 19 + 3). (Lowndes 1690. Avery AWIN54. R. McLean, Victorian Book Design & Colour Printing (1963), pp.31-2; P.H. Muir, Victorian Illustrated Books (1989), p.152). A Wonderful production! Sir Nicholas Harris Nicolas, author and antiquary wrote many titles however it is the History of the orders of the Knighthood of the British Empire for which he is best remembered, originally issued as parts at a cost of between £3000 and £4000. In Muir's view "it is doubtful whether the technical quality of these prints could be surpassed today"; the plates 'using gold leaf.. are truly magnificent' (Muir 152) This work continues to be a valuable source for historians of the subject. 36.5*27cm, 17kg packed). A lovely set of a title that rarely come on the market!