The Complete Works of Jane Austen. In 12 volumes: Sense and Sensibility; Pride and Prejudice; Emma; Mansfield Park; Northanger Abbey; Persuasion; Lady Susan; The Watsons; Letters

Boston and New York: Colonial Press Company A scarce printing of Jane Austen's works in 12 volumes, undated but cited as 1906, with 30 colour plates by H M and C E Brock, 6 further illustrations and a folding facsimile autograph letter. In matching blue cloth bindings with paper labels which state that this edition is the 'Beacon Edition'. Top page edges gilt; remainder untrimmed. It uses some of the Brock plates from an earlier J M Dent/E P Dutton edition first published in 1898, and the prefaces are by Brimley Johnson, who edited that edition. However it also has a substantial introductory piece by Prof. William Lyon Phelps, which appears in the Frank S Holby publications. A fairly large type-face is used - reminiscent of the Winchester Edition. Book size 20 x 14.5 cms. The blue cloth bindings are generally sound and clean with the occasional light mark. There is some wear to the top and bottom of the spines - the degree of wear varies: Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey were clearly most read and have the greatest binding wear. Corners lightly bumped. Internally contents very bright and clean - some volumes are still partly unopened. Some of the pages have quite frayed edges from opening, which has occasionally resulted in some margin (but not text) loss. Each of the novels has a colour frontispiece and 2 further Brock plates per volume - these are tissue-guarded and all the volumes have a title page in red and black and additional half titles were appropriate. Sense and Sensibility Vol I: dedication; bibliography; Jane Austen by William Lyon Phelps; half title; text pp 1-225. Small repaired paper flaw in top margin p 55. Vol II: pp 1-302 - some loss to side margin of p75. Pride and Prejudice Vol I: preface; text pp 3-283. Some very crinkled/nibbled page edges. Vol II: text 3-299. Volume a little shaken and outline of pressed flower in gutter margins of pp 236/7. Emma Vol I: dedication; preface; text 1-399. Some pages unopened. Vol II: 359pp mostly unopened. Mansfield Park Vol I: preface; text 338pp largely unopened. Vol II: 347 pp, largely unopened, one tissue guard detached, side margin p219 with loss and archive tape repair, p 299 slight loss to side margin. Persuasion: preface, text 362pp. Northanger Abbey: advert by 'authoress'; preface; text 338pp. Part unopened. Lady Susan, The Watsons and Letters Vol I: frontispiece portrait of Jane Austen; title page; preface; colour plate - Old Manor House, Steventon; half title Lady Susan and text 107pp; half title The Watsons, preface and text to p195; half title The Letters; introduction by Brabourne; black and white portrait; text to p393. Many pages unopened, corner of p205 re-attached (no text affected), slight split at rear endpaper joint. The Letters Vol II: portrait frontispiece; title page; colour plate Vestibule of 4 Sydney Place, Bath; foldout facsimile autograph letter; text, black and white portrait and appendices 393pp. Please enquire if you would like to see more images to further assess condition.