Uniformly Bound 32 Book Run of the Argosy 1877-1893 (Volumes 23-56 but Missing Volumes 46 & 47)

Ellen Price (1814 –1887) was an English novelist better known as Mrs. Henry Wood. She married Henry in 1836 and for 20 years they lived in the South of France where Henry worked in banking and shipping. On the failure of Wood’s business, they returned to England with their four children and settled in Upper Norwood near London, where Ellen turned to writing, the earnings from which supported the family. She wrote over 30 novels, many of which, especially East Lynne, enjoyed remarkable popularity. Wood’s works were translated into many languages, including French and Russian.

In 1867, a year after Henry’s death, Ellen purchased and became editor of the English magazine The Argosy, which had been founded by Alexander Strahan in 1865. It had a somewhat racy tone from the outset with the serialisation of Charles Reade’s novel Griffith Gaunt, which concerns a case of bigamy.

Ellen wrote much of the magazine herself, but other contributors included Hesba Stretton, Julia Kavanagh, Christina Rossetti, Sarah Doudney and Anthony Trollope. Wood continued as its editor until her death in 1887, when her son Charles took over and it ran until 1901.

At her death, caused by bronchitis, Wood’s estate was valued at the then considerable sum of over £36,000. She was buried in Highgate Cemetery and in 1916 a monument to her was unveiled in the Cathedral of Worcester, the city of her birth.

The Argosy was published bi-annually, January to June and July to December and this lengthy 32 book run, bound by S H Cowell of Ipswich, covers volumes 23-56 spanning 1877-1893. It is a broken run as volumes 46 & 47 published in 1889 are missing. Uniformly bound in polished half calf with marbled paper boards and with restrained gilt decoration to the spines, arranged as 5 compartments by 4 raised bands the 2nd of which contains a gilt lettered red morocco title label. Each volume carries a full plate frontispiece, some full-page illustrations as well as occasional illustrations within the text.

Provenance: Volume 24 bears the armorial book plate of Reverend William Forbes Leith MA of Whitehaugh (Aberdeenshire) and volume 32 bears the hand-written name of his wife who he married in 1871. William graduated from Worcester College, Oxford, in 1861 with a Master of Arts degree and was a clergyman of the Church of England.

This attractive run is presented in good antiquarian condition. Externally rubbing, scuffs, marks, a little loss to gilding, which is otherwise fresh and bright and bumping to some corners. Internally pages age toned with some foxing and occasional marks, the paper covering the internal hinges is split in places and pages 159-170 inclusive of volume 52 are detached but present.

Each volume is 21.5 cm high, 14.6 cm deep and the overall shelf coverage is some 115 cm. The total combined unpackaged weight is about 30 kg.

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