CYPHERS: A UNIQUE MONOGRAM COLLECTION
[Great Britain]: [n.p.], [circa 1840-1860]. Octavo, unpaginated; VG; bound in an unsigned mid-nineteenth century polished red calf, double gilt rules to boards, paneled spine with gilt tooling; front board with 'CYPHERS' in gilt surrounded by gilt oval of leaves, rear board matching but with 'L. LEFROY'; all edges gilt; marbled endpapers; verso of ffep with a pasted image of flowers, recto of sfep with pasted image of birds; all leaves with hand-ruled borders in red and black.;
With 1159 names and 1475 monograms (many hand-colored); The index sorts some by rank, being Dukes, Duchess, Marquis, Marchioness, Earl, Countess, Viscounts, Viscountess, Barons, and Baroness.;
122 numbered leaves (actually 135), plus 9 leaves of an index by rank, 1 blank ruled page following. There are stubs between most leaves, presumably by the binder to allow the binding to open. The insertion of the monograms has had some effect, with the leaves being slightly wavey and the glue/color slightly bleeding or offsetting.;
A Victorian aristocratic compilation, it opens with three monograms for Queen Victoria and extends through to the Honorable Mrs. White. The inclusion of Prince Albert's monogram on page 1 implies a creation date between 1840-1860, although it was probably a product of years if not decades to collect and assemble.;
SN consignment; shelved case 3.
1353061
Shelved Dupont Bookstore
Price: $5,000
NOTES
L. Lefroy presumably refers to a member of the Irish Lefroy family, probably a contemporary of Thomas Langlois Lefroy (1776-1869), suitor of Jane Austen, politician, and later Lord Chief Justice of Ireland. Possibilities for the 'L' include either Lord or Lady, or Thomas' sister Lucy (1768-1853).;