Tess of the D'Urbervilles: A Pure Woman

London: Macmillan and Co, 1926. Hardcover. Wood engravings by Vivien Gribble. 4to. Quarter vellum spine with gilt spine lettering and marbled paper over boards. xiii, 507pp. Tissue-guarded frontispiece + 40 illustrations, fold-out red-bordered map ("Map of the WESSEX of the Novels and Poems"). Very good. Corners lightly bumped, else tight and internally fine; endpapers faintly age toned; signature of original purchaser (which he dates 1926) on front flyleaf. Wonderfully tight and attractive large paper edition of the British writer's originally censored novel, first published in 1891 and here (as title page notes) "Faithfully Presented" in this edition with front colophon noting limitation of 325 copies signed by Hardy. Includes his "Explanatory Note to the First Edition" (1891) and "Preface to the Fifth and Later Editions" (1912). A lovely large-margined edition handsomely signed and printed on fine stock. Extremely scarce. (Inventory #: 50379)