This rare two volume edition of Evelina by Frances Burney was published in 1894 by J M Dent and Company. So the book is from the end of the Victorian era.
This beautiful edition of Frances Burney's most well known novel features three black and white plates per volume. The books are uniformly bound in green cloth with gilt decoration and lettering to the front boards and spines. Jane Austen was a great admirer of Ms Burney's works, although she is perhaps better known for her diaries than her novels by modern readers. She was an incredibly woman who originally tried to bow to convention - she burnt all her juvenilia when she was in her teens to try and shake her love of writing. It was not so easily given up though.
The books are in very good condition but both volumes show a slight forward lean, with minor wear to the corners. The boards show some minor marks and soiling, but the green cloth is remarkably bright still. The spines are sunned and discoloured with some small marks to the cloth. Crushing to the spine ends has caused some tiny splits in the cloth.
Inside, there is a name plate glued to both front pastedowns and the endpapers are tanned. The pages show age toning and foxing, with some occasional foxing.
The books feature rough cut pages which is a lovely feature in old books. Each volume has three black and white illustration plates which make add to the charm of this late Victorian edition. The tissue guards on the frontispieces are tanned.
Each volume is approximately 17.6cm x 11.8cm x 1.7cm.
The books will arrive hand wrapped in patterned wallpaper and string.
I use a range of eco friendly, 100% recyclable jiffy bags and boxes, and whenever possible I use brown paper tape. The green bubble wrap is oxo-degradable and the clear bubble wrap is 100% recyclable. I also reuse boxes when I feel it's appropriate (if the boxes are sturdy enough).