The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D., together with the Journal of a Tour to the Hebrides and Johnsoniana (Five Volumes)
London: George Bell and Sons, 1884. Very Good. Item #6164
London: George Bell and Sons, 1884. First Edition Thus. Octavo; Vol I lv + 583pp; Vol II xi + 570pp; Vol III xi + 568pp; Vol IV xv + 469pp; Vol V xiii + 432pp. Fifty-three engravings of portraits, dwellings, locales, manuscripts, and signatures dispersed throughout the five volumes; two-color fold-out map in Vol IV. Appendices in every volume. Index to the Life and the Tour in Vol IV; index to the Johnsoniana in Vol V.
Teal boards with cloth spines in ivory; gilt spine lettering. Text block top edge roughly trimmed, other edges untrimmed.
All panels lightly soiled, without prominent stains. Back panel of Vol V has residue of shelf-adjacent paper volume on upper third. All spines sun-baked to the point of brittleness, with some resulting vertical segments missing, and chipping/tearing to spine crowns and feet. Spine lettering unaffected, for the most part; now protected in mylar. All joints and hinges good. Text blocks unmarred and unmarked, with many unopened pages; light foxing throughout. Map of Hebrides route in Vol IV complete, without misfolds. All engravings and tissue guards present.
The major 19th-century "one stop shop" edition for Boswell's Johnson and for the Johnsoniana collected from the Doctor's direct intimates.
Price: $150.00