The roman empresses; or, the history of the lives and secret intrigues of the wives of the twelve cæsars.
London.
The Walpole Press, 1899.
Fine Library edition.
8vo.
In two volumes. xvi, 499pp, [1]; viii, 573pp, [1]. Finely bound by Zaehnsdorf in modern gilt-tooled blue half-morocco. Top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Very lightly rubbed. Armorial bookplate of W. A. Foyle, Beeleigh Abbey to FEP of both volumes. Internally clean and crisp.
A finely bound edition of French historian Jacques Roergas de Serviez's (1679-1727) detailed and compelling history of wives of the twelve Caesars, or the Roman Empresses. First printed for Abel Roper in 1723, this limited 'Fine Library' edition was produced for subscribers only by the Walpole Press, being copy 346 of its thousand- copy run. Bound by celebrated Hungarian bookbinder Joseph W. Zaehnsdorf (1853-1930), this copy bears the bookplate of William Foyle, founder and owner of Foyle's bookshop, Charing Cross.
William Alfred Westropp Foyle (1885-1963), bookseller, co-founder of the eponymous bookshop on Charing Cross Road. Following his purchase of the former medieval monastery of Beeleigh Abbey in 1943, Foyle built an extensive personal library. In July 2000, following the death of his daughter and successor Christina, the library was dispersed at Christie's over three days, at the time being the most valuable English private library ever to be offered in Britain or on the Continent. Those books that remained with the family were sold by Dominic Winter Auctioneers in 2023 following the death of Foyle's grandson Christopher.
£ 375.00
Antiquates Ref: 30904
William Alfred Westropp Foyle (1885-1963), bookseller, co-founder of the eponymous bookshop on Charing Cross Road. Following his purchase of the former medieval monastery of Beeleigh Abbey in 1943, Foyle built an extensive personal library. In July 2000, following the death of his daughter and successor Christina, the library was dispersed at Christie's over three days, at the time being the most valuable English private library ever to be offered in Britain or on the Continent. Those books that remained with the family were sold by Dominic Winter Auctioneers in 2023 following the death of Foyle's grandson Christopher.
