1861 "The Diary and Correspondence of Charles Abbot, Lord Colchester" set of 3 books [English]

Three warm tan leather spines tooled all over in gilt scrolls and little flowers, each with a black title label and a deep maroon volume label. Turn them sideways, and the covers are a bold marbled paper in sky blue, red, and gold, with matching marbled endpapers and edges. They look wonderful from every angle.

Inside is the private diary of Charles Abbot, Lord Colchester, Speaker of the House of Commons from 1802 to 1817, edited by his son. He was in the room for it all and wrote it down: sharp little sketches of Pitt, Fox, Sheridan, and Erskine, the birth of Princess Charlotte, and news of war with France. Vol. I opens with an engraved portrait of Abbot in ermine robes after Sir Thomas Lawrence, still behind its tissue guard.

Each volume carries a small blue ticket from Chapin Bros. Booksellers, Chicago, so these crossed the Atlantic and sat on an American shelf long ago. A great trio for a library, desk, or mantel, and a fun gift for a history lover.

Dimensions: 8 1/2" H x 5 3/4" W (per volume)

Medium: Half leather (calf) with gilt-tooled spines and leather title and volume labels; marbled paper boards, marbled endpapers, and marbled page edges

Age: 1861

Origin: London, England — John Murray, Albemarle Street; sold by Chapin Bros. Booksellers, Chicago

Signature/mark: Spines stamped in gilt "THE DIARY AND CORRESPONDENCE OF LORD COLCHESTER" with "VOL. I, II, III"

Disclosures: Sold as-is in antique condition; complete set of 3 volumes, all dated 1861; some hinges are cracked or loose, so please open with care; leather is rubbed and chipped, with losses at the spine tops and a small scuff on the Vol. I label; marbled covers show rubbing and a whitish mark on Vol. I; light foxing and spotting inside; pencil underlining on the Vol. I title page and pencil notes on a flyleaf; pages are toned with age and readable