Researches into the History of Playing Cards: with Illustrations on the Origin of Printing and Engraving on Wood
by Singer, Samuel Weller
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
Pasadena, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Printed by T. Bensley & Son for Robert Triphook, 1816. First edition. Limited edition, one of 250 copies for subscribers. Full red crushed morocco with gilt to spine and boards. Five raised bands. Dentelles gilt. Top edge brightly gilt. Marbled endpapers. Bookplate of Robert Hoe III (1839-1909) to front pastedown with armorial bookplate of Mary Macmillin Norton below. Collating complete including subscribers' list, eleven engraved and eight colored woodcuts and two additional colored plates: xvi, [2], 373, [3]. A beautiful copy with just a hint of rubbing to the corners. Occasional faint offsetting, but in all internally fresh and bright.
With provenance from the library of American businessman and printing press equipment producer Robert Hoe III, whose library was a unique and valuable resource in the history of printing and typography. His collection went to auction in 1912, likely where it was acquired by Ms. Norton.
Samuel Weller Singer was a noted scholar of Elizabethan literature and history, but he is best remembered for this pioneering treatise on card games. Researches into the History of Playing Cards is an investigation not only of the history of playing cards but a sourcebook of sumptuous illustrations detailing the evolution of playing cards as works of art. Singer's erudition is on display in the book's footnotes where he traces the etymological and historical nuances of cards and card games in other languages in the book's first section. The second section offers a history of printing, as Singer shrewdly considers the rise of printed and engraved playing cards as part and parcel with developments in printing and printmaking. The final section is an instruction manual on card games. Sumptuously illustrated with engravings and woodcuts, Researches into the History of Playing Cards is a celebration of the history of cards and print making.
With provenance from the library of American businessman and printing press equipment producer Robert Hoe III, whose library was a unique and valuable resource in the history of printing and typography. His collection went to auction in 1912, likely where it was acquired by Ms. Norton.
Samuel Weller Singer was a noted scholar of Elizabethan literature and history, but he is best remembered for this pioneering treatise on card games. Researches into the History of Playing Cards is an investigation not only of the history of playing cards but a sourcebook of sumptuous illustrations detailing the evolution of playing cards as works of art. Singer's erudition is on display in the book's footnotes where he traces the etymological and historical nuances of cards and card games in other languages in the book's first section. The second section offers a history of printing, as Singer shrewdly considers the rise of printed and engraved playing cards as part and parcel with developments in printing and printmaking. The final section is an instruction manual on card games. Sumptuously illustrated with engravings and woodcuts, Researches into the History of Playing Cards is a celebration of the history of cards and print making.
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Details
- Bookseller
- Whitmore Rare Books (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 3502
- Title
- Researches into the History of Playing Cards: with Illustrations on the Origin of Printing and Engraving on Wood
- Author
- Singer, Samuel Weller
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- First edition
- Publisher
- Printed by T. Bensley & Son for Robert Triphook
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1816
Terms of Sale
Whitmore Rare Books
15 day return guarantee, with full refund if an item arrives damaged or not matching the description.
About the Seller
Whitmore Rare Books
Biblio member since 2009
Pasadena, California
About Whitmore Rare Books
We operate a retail shop in "Old Town" Pasadena open normal business hours Tuesday through Saturday.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Bookplate
- Highly sought after by some collectors, a book plate is an inscribed or decorative device that identifies the owner, or former...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....
- Raised Band(s)
- Raised bands refer to the ridges that protrude slightly from the spine on leather bound books. The bands are created in the...
- Rubbing
- Abrasion or wear to the surface. Usually used in reference to a book's boards or dust-jacket.
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...