Jane Austen's Novels

London: J.M. Dent and Company, 1892. Jane Austen's Novels Finely Bound by Ramage

AUSTEN, Jane. Jane Austen's Novels. Edited by Reginald Brimley Johnson. London: J.M. Dent and Company, 1892.

First edition thus. Ten small octavo volumes (6 5/8 x 4 1/4 inches: 168 x 108 mm.). Title-pages printed in red and black. Thirty-one photogravure illustrations by William Cubit Cooke and numerous ornaments by F.C. Tilney.

Bound ca. 1900 by Ramage of London. Three quarter dark blue Morocco over blue cloth boards ruled in gilt. Spines with five raised bands decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. (truncated) A fine set.

Reginald Brimley Johnson (1867-1932), was a literary critic, editor, author, and publisher. Educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he specialized in nineteenth century novelists, editing and providing introductions for many collections of such works including, notably, those of Jane Austen.

William Cubitt Cooke (1866–1951), illustrator and watercolorist, was the son of Mordecai Cubitt Cooke, who was an English botanist and mycologist. W. Cubitt Cooke exhibited at the Royal Society of British Artists, the Royal Institute, and the Royal Academy. He is chiefly remembered for his work on J. M. Dent's 1892 edition of the Complete Novels of Jane Austen in ten volumes. He provided a total of thirty-one photogravures, three per volume, with the four longer Austen novels split into two volumes each.

Born in London in 1836, John Ramage served an apprenticeship with John Wright, then went to Paris, where he was able to work with the distinguished Marcellin Lortic (1822-1892), who opened his shop on the Rue St. Honoré in 1840. In 1860 Ramage purchased the binding business of Alexander Banks, Jr., in Edinburgh, then returned three years later to London, where he was in business at various locations into the 20th century. Though the range of their designs is broad, Ramage bindings are celebrated for their remarkably delicate, careful, and elaborate gilt work.

Gilson, E75. (Inventory #: 06143)