Selected Works of Thomas Hardy: First Editions with an autographed note, 16 volumes

Selected Works of Thomas Hardy: all First Editions in fine Birdsall bindings, 16 volumes; with an autographed note signed in an addressed and stamped envelope
Lot includes sixteen works in First Editions; all uniformly and finely bound by Birdsall of Northampton & London (flyleaf stamped) in 3/4 green morocco over green crushed linen, with gilt titles to spines and dated at heals: 1-2. The Hand of Ethelberta: A Comedy in Chapters. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1876. two volumes. first edition. 3-5. The Woodlanders. (three volumes) London & New York: Macmillian and Co., 1887. first edition. 6-7. The Wessex Tales; Strange Lively and Commonplace. London & New York: Macmillian and Co., 1888. two volumes. first edition. limited to 750 un-numbered sets. 8. A Group of Noble Dames. London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine, and Co.,1891. first edition. 9. Life s Little Ironies. A Set of Tales with Some Colloquial Sketches, Entitled a Few Crusted Characters. London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine, and Co.,1894. first edition. 10. Jude the Obscure. James R. Osgood, McIlvaine, and Co.,1896. first edition. 11. The Well Beloved. London: James R. Osgood, McIlvaine, and Co.,1897. first edition; as Volume XVII of the Wessex Novels. 12 . The Wessex Poems and Other Verses. London & New York: Harper & Brothers, 1898. first edition, with thirty black-and-white illustrations by the author, some full-page and including a tissue-guarded frontispiece. The author s first collection of poetry, containing fifty-one poems, only 500 copies were printed; short introduction by the author. 13. Poems of the Past and of the Present. London & New York: Harper & Brothers, 1902 (1901). first edition. Hardy s second volume of verse, which (like the first, WESSEX POEMS), consisted of only 500 copies. 14. Time s Laughingstocks, etc. London: Macmillan and Co., 1909. first edition, with autographed signed note in stamped envelope, tipped in at half title. Note dated 12/11/09 and addressed to a Mr. Pentin, discusses Hardy s forthcoming book of verse Time s Laughingstocks and other Verses. 15. A Changed Man and Other Tales. London: Macmillan and Co., 1913. first edition; Volume XVIII of The Wessex Novels) 16. Satires of Circumstance: Lyrics and Reveries with Miscellaneous Pieces.London: Macmillan and Co., 1914. first edition. All in near fine overall condition; interiors clean and seemingly unread, exteriors with varying sunning to spines, else fine.

Provenance:
Property from the Estate of Peter S. Bing, Beverly Hills, California.

Condition
All in near fine overall condition; interiors clean and seemingly unread, exteriors with varying sunning to spines, else fine.