The Melton Mowbray Of John Ferneley (1782-1860)

Paget, Major Guy, D.L.

Published by Edgar Backus, 1931

About this Item

1st edition hardcover in olive green cloth covered boards with 90% of a bright gilt title on the darkened spine and gilt fox mask with crossed horn and crop on center of frt cover. Tips and spine ends bumped and lightly rubbed. Green cloth is hard to describe, it is almost as if it has a 'felted' outer layer that is lifting in spots and gone missing in others. The rear gutter is cracked 4" from head and also 3" up from foot but inner hinge papers and webbing are secure so the boards and backstrip are snugly attached and going nowhere. A solid working copy = all there but not pretty. Internally the 178 pp text is crisp and bright with one tidy owner's name/date on second blank fep. The balance of the book is fresh and fine with a tissue guarded frontis and 6 others in color, 9 in Photogravure, 95 in Sepia and 5 line illustrations in text. Included is a professionally reproduced, color illustrated dust wrapper from the Backus edition with a $10.00 US price present on frt flap. Age-toned and moderately soiled jacket has 1/2" loss at the head of spine and two tiny chips at upper flap folds. The jacket backstrip is darkened and the title is barely legible. Book still displays well from the front with it's attractive, color hunt scene showing some chipping at the periphery and a few creases along the left edge. An exhaustive work on the history of Mr. John Ferneley who lived during foxhunting's Golden Age = during the end of the 18th and into the 19th centuries. Each chapter begins with an illuminated first letter. This tome is over sized and will incur add'l postage for priority mail or international destinations. John Ferneley, the Leicestershire sporting artist was known to the author through his grandfather who, in a living will, gifted the young Guy, the Paget family estate when he was all of seven years old. When grandfather come to visit and stay at his old home he would tell Guy all about the pictures, furniture and other things, but particularly about the horse pictures present at the Paget family estate. There were a lot by Ferneley. Guy's grandfather, an accomplished sporting artist in his own right, was a life-long friend of the Ferneleys. This influence on young Guy's mind began his interest in sporting art in general, and in Ferneley's in particular. Seller Inventory # 46988

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Melton Mowbray Of John Ferneley (1782-...

Publisher: Edgar Backus

Publication Date: 1931

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Good

Dust Jacket Condition: Good

Edition: First Edition.