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Seller: Henry Sotheran Ltd, London, United KingdomHenry Sotheran Ltd

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since November 7, 2014

Association member: ABAPBFAILAB

Hardcover

Condition: Used

£ 600.00

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Quantity: 1 available

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Item description from seller

72 x 37mm gilt edged visiting card "Mr Scrope Davies" pasted onto a printed sheet containing an advertisement for an edition of Byron's Parisina. Tape marks and browning to the verso of the sheet from previous framing, the card itself in very good condition.From the collection of Bevis Hillier, himself a kinsman of Davies, being descended, via his paternal grandmother, a Davies, from Scrope's brother, the Rev. Thomas Davies."In 1976, the Times reported a story of an unusual find in the Barclay Bank's vaults. Scrope Davies's leather trunk was identified, and as Davies being a close associate of both Byron and Shelley, the news was pronounced swoon worthy. The trunk's contents were deposited on loan to the Department of Manuscripts at the British Library, and the papers were bound into twenty-three volumes, two of which consisted entirely of letters and bills from bankers and moneylenders and two of records of bets. Of course, the trunk also held an original manuscript of Canto 3 of Childe Harold's Pilgrimage and two previously unknown sonnets ("Hymn to Intellectual Beauty" and "Mont Blanc") by Shelley, the find was termed a major success.Thus was Scrope Davies, a man in the know in the Byron tempestuous circle. Davies was an inveterate gambler and a prodigal spender. According to tales of the time, he lost between PS16,000 and PS17,000 in one calendar year. He was known to drink heavily and to womanize freely."Bevis Hillier, as a distant relation, was given the chance to look at the trunk at an early stage. Barclays also allowed him to write the front-page scoop in the London Times about the find. In acknowledgement of his role in breaking the news to the nation and the family connection, Barclays gave Hillier this visting card from the trunk, which he then made pasted onto the sheet of Parisina.The sprightly foreword by Bevis Hillier to T. A. J. Burnett's The Rise and Fall of a Regency Dandy. The Life and Times of Scrope Berdmore Davies epitomizes the urbane, irrepressible Scrope: ''a carrier, but not a victim, of the epidemic disease of the early 19th century, the Romantic Agony.''.…

Seller Inventory # 2093709

Bibliographic details

Title
Visiting Card.
Author
DAVIES, Scrope Berdmore.
Binding
Hardcover

Henry Sotheran Ltd

London, United Kingdom

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since November 7, 2014

Association member:

Shipping rates from United Kingdom to U.S.A.

Item2 to 7 business days2 to 7 business days
First item£ 40.00£ 40.00
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Store description

The longest established antiquarian booksellers in Europe. Founded in York in 1761, established in London in 1815, Henry Sotheran Limited has a long and distinguished history. For over 260 years, we have been offering unsurpassed opportunities to collectors and enthusiasts, from the purchase of the libraries of Laurence Sterne in 1768, and Charles Dickens in 1870, to the complete stock and copyright of the ornithologist and publisher John Gould. Throughout our history we have prided ourselves on the quality and condition of our books, and our friendly service. Our premises in the heart of London's Cecil Court area are spacious and elegantly appointed, and we welcome regular clients and passers-by alike to wander in and browse our stock in a relaxing and convivial atmosphere.…

Specialty

Antiquarian, Modern First Editions, Children's & Illustrated, Travel, Science & Natural History

Association member

  • Antiquarian Booksellers' Association
  • Provincial Booksellers Fairs Association
  • International League of Antiquarian Booksellers
Members of these associations are committed to maintaining the highest standards. They vouch for the authenticity of all items offered for sale. They provide expert and detailed descriptions, disclose all significant defects and/or restorations, provide clear and accurate pricing, and operate with fairness and honesty during the purchase experience.

Seller's business information

Henry Sotheran Ltd

22 Charing Cross Road
London, United Kingdom WC2H 0HS