The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne by White, Gilbert; Niall, Ian (Introduction); Wormell, Chris (Illustrations) - 1994

London: The Folio Society, 1994. Hardcover. Fine. Wormell, Chris. Octavo size, 400 pp., in a custom binding. A lovely custom binding of quarter leather with linen boards, dried flowers recessed into each board, in a custom clamshell box.

"The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne" was first published in 1789 and has remained continuously in print since then, with countless editions having been published. It it presented in the form of letters wherein "White details the natural history of the area around his family home at the vicarage of Selborne in Hampshire" (n.b., quote from Wiki). With its echoes of an earlier, simpler (and to many minds, more charming) time, it remains popular even today; the illustrations after engravings by Chris Wormell (b. 1955), who works in several mediums, brings the text to life with in-text illustrations and chapter tailpieces.

___DESCRIPTION: In a custom binding (binder unidentified) of quarter olive green leather with gilt lettering on the spine, the boards covered with natural linen cloth, recessed into both boards are dried flowers, sewn headbands, all edges stained green, black endpapers and flyleaves, frontispiece one of the illustrations after a wood engraving by Chris Wormell, with several more half-page illustrations bound in throughout, several chapters with chapter tail-pieces; octavo size (7 3/4" by 5 1/2"), pagination: [i-vi] vii-xvi, 1-384. Housed in a custom clamshell box covered with natural linen, the interior trays lined with green felt.

___CONDITION: Fine, the binding clean and unworn, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; clean and crisp. The slipcase also fine overall, strong and sturdy, with perhaps the lightest of a stray mark or two.

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