Beaux & Belles of England, Beau Brummell, Grolier Soc'y LIMITED 2 vol.

Description: Beau Brummell by Captain Jesse. Hardcover, two volumes. Illustrated with plates. Published by the Grolier Society, London as part of the series Beaux and Belles of England. Imperial Edition, LIMITED to 1000 copies. Undated, but probably late 19th century (circa 1880s). Volume 1 is 369 pages and volume 2 is 358 pages. This copy is number 222 of a LIMITED EDITION of 1000 copies. It is bound in three-quarter leather with marbled covers and endpapers. The top edge of each volume is gilt. Condition: The front cover of volume 1 has separated from the rest of the book. Both volumes have a chip out of the top of the spine and wear to the bottom of the spine. The bottom of the spine of volume 1 has been repaired. The front cover of volume 2 is beginning to separate at the top and bottom of the hinge. The interior of both volumes is clean, with no bookplates, ink names, or pen/pencil notations. There are isolated instances of staining or foxing, but overall the interior of the volumes appears unread. George Bryan "Beau" Brummell (1778 – 1840) was an important figure in Regency England and, for many years, the arbiter of men's fashion. At one time, he was a close friend of the Prince Regent, the future King George IV, but after the two quarrelled and Brummell got into debt, he had to take refuge in France. Once, asked how much it would cost to keep a single man in clothes, Brummell replied: "Why, with tolerable economy, I think it might be done with £800", at a time when the average annual wage for a craftsman was £52. Additionally, he claimed that he took five hours a day to dress and recommended that boots be polished with champagne.This preoccupation with dress, coupled with a nonchalant display of wit, was referred to as dandyism. Brummell was remembered afterwards as the preeminent example of the dandy, and a whole literature was founded upon his manner and witty sayings. Even today, his name is still associated with style and good looks. Readers will probably recall Billy Joel's lyric: "How about a pair of pink sidewinders and a bright orange pair of pants? You could really be a Beau Brummel baby, if you just give it half a chance." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Our father was a bibliophile who collected rare books, letters, and ephemera for more than 60 years. For now and into the foreseeable future, we will be listing rare paper items from his estate. Take a look at all our items for sale. We combine shipping upon request. Please LET US KNOW if you’ve purchased multiple items so we can combine.

Price: 45 USD

Location: Slingerlands, New York

End Time: 2024-10-04T15:00:01.000Z

Shipping Cost: 10 USD