Emma by Jane 2024 Austen Volume Is IV, Bigelow, Brown & Co. circa 1920 - rough cut, rare, illustrated by Charles Brock.

My story…
I am a very rare, beautifully understated edition of Emma by Jane Austen. I was published in New York around 1920 by Bigelow, Brown & Co. This novel is volume four from an original six volume set of the works of Jane Austen.
It has five tipped in black and white illustrations by Charles Brock.
This edition has been very difficult to research as it is so rare, but it is similar in appearance to an edition of the Diary of Samuel Pepys which was published by Bigelow around 1920.

Practicalities:
-I measure H 21cm by W 14.5cm by D 3.5cm
-I weigh 696g.

Condition Summary:
I am generally in a very good condition with mostly minor wear. For specific condition points see below.

Why buy me?
I am a humble, modest edition of this marvellous tale. I am bound in a beautiful, slightly textured sage green cloth which has ridden the waves of time well! No grand gilt titles for me, just a simple, but I would like to think elegant, paper background, decorated with red and black stripes. The ageing on it adds to my vintage charm methinks!
My top edge of text block might surprise you with its rather faded gold leaf on it - just a hint of grandeur does not go amiss. My long and bottom edges are deckled (rough cut), which I like to refer to as ruffled. This means my pages are sometimes not quite all the same size and slightly rough on their edges.
My text includes a short one page introduction. The half title page falls after the introduction. Then begins my novel on pages in mostly an excellent condition.
All my charming illustrations, including the frontispiece, are in black and white. They have been tipped in (stuck in not bound in to the main body of the text), and each illustration includes a note indicating which page number it is associated with. The frontispiece has the same page notation, but it is noted as belonging with page 75 in the text.
At the end of me it says, ‘The end', followed by some plain free papers.
Aren't I just delightful? Unrefined yet elegant; plain yet beautifully minimalist; grand (in part) yet so modestly humble!

As I am around 100 years old I will have some signs of age and use:

Hardcovers: gentle rolling and wear at the top and bottom spine ends; the book corners are rolled quite noticeably on the top corners (the bottom rear corner is not rolled); there is a crease caused by a bump to the rear top corner which has caused mild creases in the rear top pages corners; cloth generally in a very lovely condition on the front and rear with more noticeable age toning and fading to the spine cloth and titles. There is a small chip off the paper titles edge and a slight water mark; there are some faint white marks on the spine cloth. The cloth is slightly more faded around the book edges with one small mark and a slight dent towards the front top book corner.
Page edges: top gold gilt edge noticeably faded; other natural edges gently age toned and rough cut. Rough cut pages are literally roughly cut apart, which can result in some chipping from the page edges. I couldn't find any in this book but there may be some hiding - if there are, they will be rare.
Endpapers: plain and mostly clean - there are some faint 2024, larger age marks on the rear paste down with some gentle age toning present. At the front the guttering has cracked and been partly repaired with glue. It is beginning to crack at the rear; there are no inscriptions.
Reading pages: They are ever so gently age toned; there is some natural creasing in a few pages (how the paper was made not through mis-use). The pages - more so at the rear have two mild curve like creases on their top corners (see photos 8 & 10). This happens when the book corners roll in and then cause imprints in the paper on the same corners. Generally, these pages are in a marvellous condition with barely a mark.
Illustrations: gently age toned around the page edges.
Binding: main book binding is still strong, despite split gutters at the front and rear. The gutters have been strengthened with archival glue, more successfully at the rear. The gutters breaking is a common feature of this edition, but doesn't seem to make the book's binding shaky or weak.

A note from my seller:
A rather lovely, old, rare book - a bit ruffled around the edges but with lots of visual, vintage appeal! You don't see many editions like this one around - it's rather special and bound so beautifully. I am happy to send more photos on request of any aspect of this book.

I will be sent Royal Mail special delivery in the UK and Royal Mail International, tracked and signed worldwide. Please message me for worldwide postage costs if not displayed.

I will be packed in recycled, biodegrable packaging where possible.