Lady Diana Beauclerk, Her Life and Work

Hardback. Very Good. T Fisher Unwin, London, 1903, first edition. This edition is one of twelve copies, this copy being numbered 1. 4to, pp xvi, 316; printed on thick imitation vellum paper and quarter bound with a vellum spine over brown laid paper boards and with a simple printed paper label to the spine, top edge gilt; eight full page coloured plates with tissue guards, a full page steel engraving and another in photogravure and over 100 other illustrations, mainly in the text but some also as full page plates; spine vellum somewhat speckled, corners a little rubbed or bumped, occasional light foxing, very slight cracking between signatures b and B but otherwise firm, clean and in very good condition. Neatly written dedication in ink manuscript on the front end paper to Lady Beatrice Taylor "with affectionate wishes from Pearl Mary Teresa Craigie November 26 1903". I can't identify with any certainty the dedicatee but the dedicator is most likely the US Boston-born Pearl Mary Teresa Richards (1867-1906) who became a successful novelist and dramatist under the name John Oliver Hobbes and who lived from 1900 on the Isle of Wight. Lady Diana Beauclerk, Viscountess Bolingbroke, neé Lady Diana Spencer, (1734-1808) was the daughter of the 3rd Duke of Marlborough and the Honble. Elizabeth Trevor. Her first marriage to Lord Bolingbroke, which produced two hildren, was ended by Parliamentary petition by her husband, alleging adultery, and she immediately married Topham Beauclerk, great grandson on Charles II, with whom she had four children and who, to her apparent relief, predeceased her. If not in the absolute first rank of artists she was nevertheless highly skilled and well regarded, particularly by Horace Walpole (who devoted a special closet at Strawberry Hill for a range of seven large designs, comparing them favourably to others by Salvator Rosa) and by Sir Joshua Reynolds whose painting of her was the basis for a popular engraving. She illustrated several books, the paintings duly engraved by Bartolozzi or his pupils and several of her designs were used on Wedgwood pottery. Although the text is available in reprint form this is an opportunity to obtain a copy of the much better produced and necessarily very scarce special edition of a dozen copies. Because this is copy number one of that very limited edition and in turn presented by a later writer of note with both UK and US strong links makes the opportunity that much more significant and, indeed, unique. Lady Di, as she was widely known, was cousin to Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, and both through her and on her own account moved in a glittering social circle. NOTE: this volume weighs almost 3kg and so will attract a small postage supplement over the default prices, subject to destination.