Limited edition 1905 facsimile of the 1532 The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer

This folio sized 1905 facsimile of the 1532 Works of Geoffrey Chaucer was produced using photographs of the 1532 copy in the British Museum. Walter Skeat added an introduction. The book was printed at the University Press of Oxford (along with the Alexander Moring De La More Press).

The 1/2 title page's verso side claims 1000 copies were produced, but this copy was unnumbered (which always makes claims of x copies suspicious).

The introduction discusses the editor, William Thynne, the chronology of the early English printings (and some discussion of the characteristics of those editions), the contents of the early editions, and discussions regarding the works included (peculiarities, arrangement, woodcuts, editing decisions, etc).

Physical Attributes -

Measures approx. 38.5 x 28 x 5 cm, folio.

Cloth hardcover, with a buckram spine. Spine title label red morocco leather with title in gilt.

Pages - xliv, 793, verso of last leaf blank.

Condition -

See pictures. Quite a bit of wear to the boards, with some stains to the top edges of the boards, other stains on the boards, corner and edges wear, etc. Ex libris ticket on pastedown (Stephen Brook). A little cracking along hinge. Toned throughout. Occasional thumbing. Thumbing on title page. There's a 2cm moisture spot, just at the bottom edge, near the gutter, from pages 150-250. Just the slightest moisture mark just at the top edge too. Last printed leaf shows a moisture mark along the last page and rear pastedown shares the mark. I'd guess that the book was transported once on a rainy day; that might correspond with the slight moisture marks at the edges.