DIAMOND

Photographs mainly supplied by Mr. F.H. Hancox [...]. Not paginated. A very good copy, original dark red morocco gilt, sl. rubbed, raised bands, all edges gilt, patterned endpapers, with label of Arthur Probsthain, [eminent] Oriental Booksellers. See photo.

2pp., 12mo. 29 lines of closely-written text. In good condition, on lightly-aged paper. 'Such a calamity must be a terrible blow for you all but more especially to Mrs. Joy and yourself. To lose a daugher just blossoming out into womanhood is tragic indeed, the more so, if that were possible, in that she was such a bright girl.' He continues 'By the same post I have word that one of my uncles has just died, and that another has been given up by the doctors. They have both lived full lives, and, in their way, interesting lives, so that, there, one can hardly talk of a tragic end.

Printed in black on both sides of a 36 x 53 cm piece of wove paper with watermark of 'W F & Co'. In very good condition, lightly-aged and folded three times. The 'Key Plan' is on one side, showing the disposition of the fleet on a map of the Portsmouth area, with a note of 'Foreign Men of War', 'British Battle Ships and Cruisers', '3rd Class Cruisers Gun Vessels and Torpedo Gunboats', 'Special Merchant Vessels', 'Destoryers & Gunboats' and 'Torpedo Boats'.

In very good condition, on the usual card mount. Each of the two prints roughly 8 x 7.5 cm, with curved top corners, the two on an 8.5 x 17.5 cm. mount. Showing the queen's carriage processing before a grandstand of onlookers in front of a fine building (in the Mall?). The photographs taken over the heads of a crowd held by by three rows of policemen (in the foreground). Caption in English, French, German, Spanish, Swedish and Russian printed on the reverse of the mount.

A bibliographical landmark: the first issue of the first volume in Pickering's series of 'Diamond Classics' 32mo: [ii] + 185 + [i] + [i]. Engraved frontispiece portrait of 'Horace' by R. Grave, facing engraved titlepage, which precedes the letterpress titlepage. On the reverse of the leaf with p.185 on its recto is a portrait of Sir Francis Bacon, captioned 'Advancement of Learning.' On the page facing this are the 'Corrigenda.' Tight copy, on aged paper, with a few dogeared pages, in contemporary black russia binding with boards and spine ornamented in gilt and title 'HORATIUS'.