T. Smollett - History of England, from the Revolution to the Death of George the Second - 1848

Bibliographic Data:

• Author: Tobias Smollett, M.D. (as a continuation of David Hume's History)
• Title: The History of England, from the Revolution to the Death of George the Second. Designed as a Continuation of Mr. Hume's History.
• Edition: A New Edition, with the author's last corrections and improvements.
• Extent: Complete in 4 volumes (Vols. I–IV)
• Place of publication & year: London, 1848
• Publisher/Printer: Joint edition by leading London publishers (including Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans; Hatchard and Son; J. M. Richardson, etc.)

Extent & Collation:

• Format: Octavo (8vo), ca. 22 x 14 cm.
• Pages: Approx. 2,050 pages total (Vol. I: ~490 pp with Preface; Vol. II: ~520 pp; Vol. III: ~510 pp; Vol. IV: ~540 pp including index).
• Gatherings: Regular 8-leaf gatherings (signatures B to Z/2Z). The title matter in Volume I forms its own short preliminary section.
• Illustrations: 1 engraved frontispiece portrait (Tobias Smollett) with silk flyleaf exclusively in Volume I. Volumes II–IV contain no portraits and start directly with the title page.

Ausstattung, Herkunft und Zustand:

• Noble binding: Decorative half-leather of the 19th century with richly gilt back, genuine cords/heads, and contrasting spine labels.
• Artistic details: Three-sided snail-pattern marbling with matching flyleaves, as well as an engraved frontispiece portrait in Volume I.
• Prominent provenance: All volumes bear the heraldic ex libris of the Winterstein Gillespie family (Dr. Hans Henry Winterstein Gillespie, London radiologist and father of blues singer Dana Gillespie).
• Good condition: Exterior stable with age-related patina and light rubbing; interior clean and firmly bound with decorative marble paper and epoch-typical, light foxing.