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ID #SA1228314
FOR SALE
£225
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1899 the Life of William Morris by J. W. Mackail. First Edition. 2 Volume Book Set.
For sale by Harrington Antiques
for sale €263     $286
£225
Harrington Antiques

Harrington Antiques

Sellingantiques Verified Since Mar 2021
Browse dealers 62 items
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1899 the Life of William Morris by J. W. Mackail. First Edition. 2 Volume Book Set.

19th century
Description

'The Life Of William Morris' by J. W. Mackail. Published by Longmans, Green and Co in 1899. First edition thus. Complete in two volumes.

Each volume is attractively half bound in tan leather with five raised bands to the spine and gilt stamped title and volume numbers to the upper sections. Cloth boards. There is some light shelf wear to the spine leather but overall bindings are in a very good clean condition.

Top page edge gilt. The bindings remain tight. The pages are in a very good clean condition, free from inscription. All illustrations present.

A handsome set.

Dimensions:-

Height: 23cm

Width: 15cm

DELIVERY

UK Mainland: FREE

International Delivery: Please contact us for a shipping quote.

Date of Manufacture

Harrington Antiques has dated these Antique Leather Bound Books to the 19th Century.

Independent Date Check ID 09598198
Dealer's Item Date19th Century
Sellingantiques Date19th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem is 127 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to THE 19TH CENTURY:
Date printed on the title pages: 1899.
Raised bands and gilt lettering on leather spines: standard late Victorian binding.
Top edge gilt over untrimmed page edges: period publishing practice.
Light surface rubbing and minor crazing on spine leather: decades of gentle shelf wear.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Physical Dimensions
Height
23cm (9.06")
Width
15cm (5.91")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Reference
SA1228314
Dealers Internal Reference
7935
Dealers Notes

PAYMENT

We accept payment via debit card, credit card, Paypal, bank transfer or cheque. We also offer a 'Pay In 3' payment service through our website.

RETURNS

We are sure that you will be delighted with your purchase. Nonetheless, to ensure you have complete peace of mind, we offer a 14 day money back guarantee.

The purchased item may be returned, in its original condition, within 14 days from receipt. Return carriage costs are the responsibility of the buyer. For larger pieces requiring a specialist courier service, we will arrange your return for you with the cost being deducted from the refund (this cost will never exceed the original charge paid).

We ask that a trackable signature method of shipping is used for the return of smaller items as we cannot be held responsible for items lost in transit.

Should you have any queries at all, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Description
'The Life Of William Morris' by J. W. Mackail. Published by Longmans, Green and Co in 1899. First edition thus. Complete in two volumes.
“
Each volume is attractively half bound in tan leather with five raised bands to the spine and gilt stamped title and volume numbers to the upper sections.
Harrington Antiques

Cloth boards. There is some light shelf wear to the spine leather but overall bindings are in a very good clean condition.

fig 1. A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards.
fig 1. 1899 the Life of William Morris by J. W. Mackail. First Edition. 2 Volume Book Set.

Top page edge gilt. The bindings remain tight. The pages are in a very good clean condition, free from inscription. All illustrations present.

A handsome set.

Dimensions:-

Height: 23cm

Width: 15cm

DELIVERY

UK Mainland: FREE

International Delivery: Please contact us for a shipping quote.

Date of Manufacture

Harrington Antiques has dated these Antique Leather Bound Books to the 19th Century.

Independent Date Report ID 09598198
Dealer's Item Date19th Century
Sellingantiques dating19th Century
Sellingantiques agingItem is 127 years old
Test ResultsPassed dating check
Why Sellingantiques dated this piece to the 19th Century:
Date printed on the title pages: 1899.
Raised bands and gilt lettering on leather spines: standard late Victorian binding.
Top edge gilt over untrimmed page edges: period publishing practice.
Light surface rubbing and minor crazing on spine leather: decades of gentle shelf wear.

This is an independent date report produced by Sellingantiques using its own proprietary system. The process uses the photographs shown on this page. The system is never told the date the dealer has declared. This report shows that the two dates corroborate.

Height
23cm (9.06")
Width
15cm (5.91")
Reference Numbers
Sellingantiques Ref
SA1228314
Dealers Internal Ref
7935
Harrington Antiques
Harrington Antiques
Sellingantiques verified Since Mar 2021

Antiques & decorative interior pieces.

Dealer Profile

You can view the stock and full dealer information on the Harrington Antiques Profile Page

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SAVE
A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards.
1 / 14
Archive I A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards.

1899 the Life of William Morris by J. W. Mackail. First Edition. 2 Volume Book Set.

Archive II A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View II
Archive III A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View III
Archive IV A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View IV
Archive V A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View V
Archive VI A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View VI
Archive VII A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View VII
Archive VIII A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View VIII
Archive IX A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View IX
Archive X A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View X
Archive XI A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View XI
Archive XII A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View XII
Archive XIII A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View XIII
Archive XIV A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards. View XIV
Enlarged Archival View
Harrington Antiques

Harrington Antiques
Telephone 07552 767190
Location
Devon
United Kingdom
Dealer Profile Page sellingantiques.co.uk/harringtonantiques
Verified Since Mar 2021
Items For Sale 62
Items Sold 867
Harrington Antiques
Harrington Antiques
Verified Since Mar 2021
View Dealer Info
Location: Devon, United Kingdom
Profile: sellingantiques.co.uk/harringtonantiques
Verified
Mar 2021
For Sale
62
Sold
867
A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards.
1899 The Life Of William Morris by J. W. Mackail. First Edition. 2 Volume Book Set.
Ref: SA1228314
A two-volume set of 1899 first edition books titled The Life of William Morris, bound in brown leather spines with gilt lettering and cream cloth boards.
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Archival Detail

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Cataloguer’s note

Written by Sellingantiques from the dealer’s photographs and listing
  • ObjectAntiquarian Books
  • Period19th century
  • StyleVictorian
  • MaterialLeather, Cloth, Paper
  • ColourWarm Brown
  • MotifsRaised spine bands, Gilt lettering, Half-leather binding
  • SizeH 23 cm (9 in) x W 15 cm (6 in)

This nineteenth-century antiquarian book set comprises two volumes of The Life Of William Morris by J. W. Mackail, published as a first edition in 1899 by Longmans, Green and Co. The Victorian set exhibits a half-leather binding style, combining warm brown tan leather spines with pale cream cloth boards and gilt lettering. Each spine incorporates five raised horizontal bands dividing the leather into panels, with gilt stamped titles and volume numbers on the upper sections alongside light shelf wear. The bindings remain tight and the clean interior pages are free from inscriptions. Each book measures 23 cm high by 15 cm wide. Placed upon a bookshelf in a gentleman's library or study, the volumes suit traditional interior schemes requiring classic literature. The set integrates easily into library shelving, reading nooks, or historic writing rooms alongside other period texts. Collectors and enthusiasts of William Morris or Victorian biography will find the complete two-volume set practical for display and reading alike.

FAQs

Victorian half-leather bookbinding is a style where the spine and corners of the volume are covered in leather, while the remaining board surfaces are covered in cloth or marbled paper. This technique provided durability at key wear points while reducing production costs compared to full leather bindings.

Books from this era typically feature calfskin or morocco leather spines, heavy paperboard, woven cloth sides, and rag-content paper pages. Lettering and spine decorations were applied using gold leaf stamping over raised structural bands.

Authentic first editions are identified by matching title page publication dates with copyright dates, observing age-appropriate wear and oxidisation on leather bindings, and verifying publisher imprints and printing marks on early leaves.

Multi-volume leather sets add visual texture when displayed upright on bookshelves, arranged horizontally on mantelpieces as decorative bases, or incorporated into dark academia office study schemes alongside brass accents.

Store volumes upright in a climate-controlled room away from direct sunlight and heat sources to prevent leather drying and cracking. Handle pages with clean, dry hands, and avoid applying commercial leather polishes unless advised by a paper conservator.
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