Catalogue of the Pamphlets, Books, Newspapers, and Manuscripts relating to the Civil War, the Commonwealth, and Restoration, Collected by George Thomason, 1640-1661. [Vol. I: “1640-1652,” Vol. II: “1653-1661, Newspapers. Index.”].
Two vols. Large & thick 8vo, orig. brown cloth, spines gilt, t.e.g. London: “Printed by Order of the Trustees” [of the] British Museum, 1908.
“Historians of the Civil War and Commonwealth can hardly sing too highly the praises of the London bookseller George Thomason (1600?-1666) who, from 1640 to 1661, collected nearly 23,000 ephemeral tracts, pamphlets, news sheets and other broadsides mainly of a political or satirical nature and bound them, in chronological order, in 2000 volumes. After various vicissitudes, the collection was purchased in 1762 by George III for the British Museum…Every scholar knows the two handsome volumes of the catalogue published in 1908 by G.K. Fortescue…
“Thomason was a true bibliographer; on the title of every pamphlet he carefully noted the actual day of publication.”–De Ricci, p. 29. The Preface by Fortescue contains a biography — necessarily somewhat sketchy for not much is known — of Thomason with details on the history of the collection.
Nice set from the library of Robert S. Pirie.
❧ Besterman 2675.
Price: $250.00
Item ID: 5727
