Essays

London: Macmillan and Co. Limited, 1924. Leather. Near Fine. 7" by 4.5". None. A finely bound Bumpus bound edition of the collected essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson, a lovely copy from the library of Audrey Pleydell-Bouverie. In a fine full morocco Bumpus binding.A collection of the essays of Ralph Waldo Emerson, containing both the first and second series of his essays. The essays include 'History', 'Self-Reliance', 'Friendship', 'Heroism', 'Character', 'Nominalist and Realist', and more, with a total of twenty essays. Emerson was an American essayist and philosopher, who led the transcendentalist movement in the mid nineteenth century. He was considered to be a champion of individualism, and a critic of the pressures of society. From the library of Audrey Pleydell-Bouverie, from her library at Julians Park, Hertfordshire. After being widowed at 25, Audrey married the fabulously wealthy American department store heir, Marshall Field III, later divorcing him and marrying the Honorable Peter Pleydell-Bouverie. In 1940 she bought Julians Park and redesigned the interior. Her library was impressive, with many examples of her own bookbinding.Audrey was an extravagant socialite and renowned beauty, the illegitimate granddaughter of King Edward VII (though she was also rumoured to be his daughter, or the lover of King Edward VIII), featured in the 'Book of Beauty' by Cecil Beaton. She had many high profile friends, such as Winston Churchill, Coco Chanel, Fred Astaire, and Nancy Mitford, a sparkling hostess of the Edwardian period, her hedonistic antics bringing her into the Bright Young Things.Ink inscription to the recto to the front endpaper gifting the work to Audrey, 'Audrey, with love + blessings, from Riggie, August 1930'. In a full morocco binding by Bumpus. Externally, fine. Prior owner's ink inscription to the recto to the front endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and clean, with a faint tide mark to the head of the textblock. Near Fine