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***ONE OF THE MOST EXQUISITE EARY 20TH CENTURY BINDINGS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN NEAR MINT/FINE CONDITION! Antique collection of 3 first editions from Elizabeth W. Champney s beloved Romance of the Chateaux series (9 volumes in total) bound by G. P. Putnam s Knickerbocker Press in exquisite Levant Morocco leather with extravagant gilt decoration and morocco inlays - the highest quality leather, superb craftsmanship and the finest of bindings! ***The cost of such time-consuming craftsmanship and artisan binding by hand using the finest of materials would be between $500 - $750 PER BOOK in today s U.S. dollars. So about $1500 to $2,250 in total binding costs alone!*** OVERALL CONDITION: FINE 3 Volumes published by G.P. Putnam: 1. 1903 The Romance of the Bourbon Chateaux, first edition, first printing. 2: 1903 The Romance of the Feudal Chateaux, first edition, third printing 3. 1904 The Romance of the Renaissance Chateaux, first edition, third printing. Volumes are profusely illustrated, each with a color frontispiece, over half a dozen captioned tissue-guarded photogravure plates and dozens of other illustrations. Thick, high-quality paper. Octavo, 8.5 x 6. Fine Levant morocco chocolate brown full leather with single filet gilt paneling on both covers. The front cover takes your breath away with its gorgeous symmetrical gilt design work in the center surrounded by inlayed emerald green morocco bordered in gilt. At the heart of the entire design is a 4-leaf clover shaped dark green morocco leather inlay. The rear cover mirrors the front cover sans the emerald green morocco bordering. A gilded five-ribbed spine features tooled gilt ruled compartments with either gilt lettering or elaborate gilt decoration with an ovular light brown morocco inlay at the center of each design. The head, tail and fore-edge of the covers are lined in gilt. Top edge gilt, other edges rough cut. The interior front covers features triple filet gilt paneling with an intricate gilt design in each corner and a dark green morocco inlay at the center of each design. The leather fully borders a gorgeous marbled endpaper pastedown. The bottom of the front cover is signed in gilt by G.P. Putnam. The rear inner cover mirrors the amazing craftsmanship of the inner front cover but is signed Knickerbocker Press instead. To top off this sumptuous, extravagant binding, each volume has a tri-color (red, green and yellow) sewn-in silk ribbon placeholder. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Elizabeth Williams Champney (February 6, 1850 October 13, 1922) was an American author of novels and juvenile literature, as well as travel writing, most of which featured foreign locations. Champney's observations and experiences during her European travels were published in Harper's Magazine, and also in The Century Magazine. She published eighty or more articles in Harper's and Century, including a series on Portugal, and papers entitled "A Neglected Corner of Europe", and "In the Footsteps of Futuney and Regnault" Later she wrote romantic semi-fictional fables of castles, such as The Romance of the Feudal Chäteaux (1899). CONDITION DESCRIPTION: FINE All 3 books are in FINE antiquarian condition. Strongly bound with square spines, firm hinges and joints and tight pages. The leather is supple and colorful. The spines are gently sun-toned. Impressively, the crown and heel of spine and spine ribs are unrubbed (quite rare). Boards are straight and tight to the text block. Interior pages are impressively bright white and clean and appear almost brand new with no writing or foxing. No offsetting, no ghosting, no water dampening. Former owner decorative bookplate on front pastedown of each volume. A few superficial items to note: Renaissance has a spot of soiling on front cover. Bourbon s bottom spine inlay is partially rubbed. Feudal s rear cover has a thin 1/2 vertical scratch and a FFEP has a crease. N° de ref. del artículo 240130001
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