Alphonse de Lamartine — Memoirs of Celebrated Characters Volume II 1854 For Sale

Offered here is an evocative 1854 Harper & Brothers edition ofMemoirs of Celebrated Characters, Volume II, published in New Yorkduring the middle of the nineteenth century.

This handsome antiquarian volume retains a highly decorative period binding featuringleather spine and corners, richly marbled paper-covered boards, marbled endpapers,marbled page edges, and gilt ornamentation to the spine.

Socrates • Jacquard • Joan of Arc •Oliver Cromwell • Homer • Gutenberg • Fénelon

Of additional historical interest is the period ownership inscription“Robert T. Black.”

Prior research has identified the name with composer Robert T. Black,adding an additional musical and historical dimension to the provenance of this volume.This is an ownership inscription and is not represented as the signatureof author Alphonse de Lamartine.

• Three-quarter leather construction
• Decorative marbled boards
• Marbled endpapers
• Marbled page edges
• Gilt-decorated spine compartments
• Contrasting spine title label
• Authentic nineteenth-century presentation

The natural wear accumulated over more than 170 years contributes to the authenticcharacter of a genuinely used nineteenth-century library volume.

Good antique condition for a volume published in 1854. The binding displays substantialage-related rubbing, scuffing, corner and edge wear, and areas of surface loss to theleather and marbled paper. Gilt spine decoration and title labeling remain visible.Interior pages exhibit expected toning with scattered foxing and spotting.

The marbled endpapers and page edges remain especially attractive. The Robert T. Blackownership inscription is clearly visible. Please inspect all photographs carefully,as they constitute an important part of the condition description.

An appealing acquisition for collectors of antiquarian books, nineteenth-century history,historical biography, leather-bound volumes, marbled bindings, French literary history,Joan of Arc, Oliver Cromwell, Socrates, Gutenberg, composer provenance, and historicpersonal libraries.