Idylls Of The King: None

London : Edward Moxon and Co., 1868. First Edition. Hardcover. Good+. GUSTAVE DORE . Bookplate for: Joseph W. Drexel, Josephine W. Drexel. None Folio 16"" x 12.5"", Complete with 37 tissue protected plates. Pages and plates range from very modest to moderate foxing but not heavy, first edition of the Dore Illustrations. Covers and spine have been professionally strengthened with a matching red leather underpayment - see photos- pages gilt on three sides and still shines and bright. Overall a very handsome first edition. ——Joseph William Drexel was a partner in the firm of Drexel, Morgan and Company; tired of battling the brusque J. P. Morgan, Joseph retired from the business and devoted his life to philanthropic and civic organizations.——He owned a 200-acre farm near New York City, where people without work were housed, clothed, fed, and taught agriculture until they could find a job. He owned a large tract of land in Maryland, which was developed into Klej Grange, a planned community, where the lots are sold to poor people at cost. About 7,000 acres in Michigan were bought for the same purpose.——He was chairman of New York Sanitary Commission, the commissioner of education, president of the New York Philharmonic Society, trustee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, founding trustee of the American Museum of Natural History, trustee of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, and director of the Metropolitan Opera house.——Drexel was an avid collector of music, eventually amassing a collection of over 6,000 items. The Drexel Collection is a collection of over 6,000 volumes of books about music and musical scores Donated by Joseph W. Drexel in 1888 to the Lenox Library (which later became The New York Public Library), the collection, located today at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. ——He married Lucy Wharton. Together, they had four children the youngest being Josephine Wharton Drexel. Joseph Drexel died at his home, on March 25, 1888. Josephine was only 10 years old. ——So why father and daughter bookplates? It would seam that while Joseph was a dedicated collector of books, he likely curated collections for each of his children as well, thus the co-named bookplate. At what point this book left Josephine or her descendant’s collection is unknown. It arrived in it’s current private collection in the 1960’s. Oversized or heavy volume, additional shipping charges will apply. Please ask for additional photos prior to purchasing. We are happy to send additional photos. 1LR