“GLOWING IMAGES AND TENDER BEAUTY”

GOLDSMITH, Oliver. The Deserted Village. London: Constable & Company, 1909. Quarto, original full vellum, elaborately gilt-decorated spine, top edge gilt, uncut, green silk ties. $600.

Signed limited edition, number 76 of 250 copies signed by illustrator W. Lee Hankey, with full-color frontispiece, 39 mounted color plates, 14 black-and-white full-page illustrations, and 36 black-and-white in-text illustrations.

"All Goldsmith's work is like a tapestry… threaded through with glowing images and tender beauty" (Kunitz & Haycraft, 228). Originally published in 1770. Bookplate of Julian Phillips.

Mounted color illustrations clean and bright. Slight foxing throughout, rear silk tie partially torn. Faint darkening to covers and spine. A near-fine copy.