Portraits of the Female Aristocracy of the Court of Queen Victoria. 2 vols.

London: J. Hogarth, 1849. probable Third edition. Hardcover. Good. After the first edition of 1839 and the second of 1841/42, enlarged in size and content. Good folio volumes in quarter black leather and dark cloth with fading on the boards. Edges and corners have visible wear, with small tears in the leather at head and heel of spine, and some wear thru at corners . Bookplate of the Provincetown Art association in both volumes. Sticker with "B" on spine of v. 1. All plates still have original tissues, though some tissues show a bit of soiling. V. 1 has all 47 portrait plates, while Vol. 2 has 45 of 47 listed. However, after checking against 6 other copies of this set, all v. 2 copies checked were missing the same 2 plates - those of Viscountess Jocelyn and Countess Malmsbury. Each plate should have been accompanied by text. This too was missing from the 2 entries. Our presumption is that the plates were not bound in with the book, else (less likely) there existed a very thorough, focused, and mobile thief in the past. Additionally, some women listed in the table of contents are noted as pointers to other entries, and do not have portraits under those names, though the portraits are present under the other names. A solid set, worthy of an improved binding, of the leading artistocratic women of early Victorian England, with the frontispiece being of the Queen herself at a young age. Many examples of Victorian fashion, and some jewelry. There is some variation in paper and style of the engravings, but all are sharp and attractive, like many of the women they portray. 8 copies in the US, 3 more worldwide according to Worldcat.