Bidspirit auction | Countess of Blessington

Countess of Blessington - Heath's Book of Beauty - Countess of Blessington, 1834. Published in 1834 by the prestigious London publisher Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green & Longman, this copy of ”Heath's Book of Beauty” is a landmark edition of the celebrated literary annuals of the Victorian period, edited by the Countess of Blessington (Marguerite Gardiner). The work, in octavo format with 283 pages, stands out for its artistic richness, containing 19 magnificent, finely finished steel engravings depicting renowned female figures of the time. The copy is presented in a luxurious period binding in full white leather, richly ornamented with elaborate gilt tooling on the covers and spine, gilt perforations on the endpapers, and entirely gilt edges. The bibliographic pedigree of this copy is exceptional, displaying on the inside cover the heraldic ex-libris of the illustrious library of J. G. Mazziotti Salema Garção, accompanied by handwritten pencil annotations that record its passage and acquisition at the auction of the old and prestigious Soares & Mendonça auction house (reference to Lot 1913, in November 1980). It is in very good condition, with the binding perfectly firm, showing only a slight and natural patina of age on the white leather, maintaining the gilding with excellent shine and the text block clean and robust, making it a highly collectible piece with great aesthetic presence.