Gentleman's Magazine - Sylvanus Urban
£8,750
Rare Books, Manuscripts, Maps & Photography
Auction: 11 October 2017 at 11:00 BST
Description
London: Edw. Cave [and later others], 1731-1844. First series: volumes 1-103 (up to 1834) volume 1 in second edition, lacking volume 99 part 1; New Series: volumes 1-22 (1834-1844), lacking volume 14; Index volumes: volume 1 covering volumes 1-20 (in stone grey quarter calf), index volumes 1& 2 covering volumes 1-56 and index volume 4 covering volumes 57-88 (in uniform in camel cloth); Bindings: volumes 1-25 in modern stone grey quarter calf gilt with red morocco gilt labels, volumes 26 - New Series volume 18 in modern camel cloth with red morocco gilt labels to spines, New Series volumes 19-22 in contemporary half calf; occasional sections lacking, such as October 1834 and November 1844; The Gentleman's Magazine Library comprising: Manners and Customs, 1883, Popular Superstitions, 1884, Archaeology parts 1 & 2, 1886, Roman-British Remains parts 1 & 2, 1887, Literary Curiosities and Notes, 1888, Architectural Antiquities parts 1 & 2, English Topography parts 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11 & 12 only, 1892-1900, all in uniform cream cloth with some soiling and covers and spines detached from text blocks; Ecclesiology, 1894, 4to, brown quarter cloth; English Traditions and Foreign Customs, 1885, Biographical Notes, 1889, English Topography...of Nottinghamshire..., 1897, English Topography...of Warwickshire..., 1901, The Topography of London, 1904-1905, 3 volumes, all in uniform brown cloth; (quantity, sold as a periodical not subject to return)
Footnote
Provenance: From the collection of Major Paul Payne, Archivist to the Royal Shakespeare Company 1960-1974
Note: A carefully compiled and near-complete set of 'The Gentleman's Magazine' to 1844. An accompanying document entitled 'Explanation of the Index' gives a detailed plate count up to volume 25, whilst Todd's 1965 bibliography of the magazine (also included), has been studied and annotated in accordance with the collection. The majority of volumes have been bound in tan buckram with red morocco labels by Bayntun of Bath.
The collection was started by Ralph Milbank Hudson II of the Friarage, Yarm, in County Durham, MP for Sunderland from 1918-1922. It was passed by descent to Major Paul Payne as a belated wedding present, due to his love of books. Major Payne and his wife sourced many of the missing elements from the set, and arranged for the books to be re-bound. In 1966 Major and Mrs Payne received a visit from a bibliographer of the Gentleman's Magazine who was looking to publish a replica of the work. He had been advised that this collection had one of the most complete sets of plates and illustrations to be found.