YOUNG, George Frederic.
The Medici.
Exceptionally rare first edition of Colonel George Frederic Young's history of the Medici; exquisitely bound by Bayntun in full morocco and extra-illustrated with 91 plates
London: John Murray, 1909.
$4,800.00
In Stock
Item Number: RRB-150704
* Custom Clamshell Boxes are hand made by the Harcourt Bindery upon request and take approximately 60 days to complete
First editions of Young's authoritative history of the Medici, extra-illustrated with 91 plates, 20 in color. Octavo, four volumes bound in full contemporary crushed levant morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, quadruple gilt ruling and fleuron cornerpieces to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins and triple gilt-ruled inner dentelles stamp-signed by Bayntun, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt, original cloth bound in, extra-illustrated with 91 plates, 20 in color. Provenance: Elizabeth A. Cox (bookplate to each volume); typed letter signed laid in from George W. Stair of Himebaugh & Browne booksellers, dated April 17 1933 noting that "the work is really very scarce." In fine condition. An exceptional set. We have been unable to trace any copies of the first edition at auction in over 50 years.
G. F. Young’s authoritative history of the Medici presented a substantial and carefully constructed account of one of the most influential dynasties of Renaissance Europe. Written with narrative clarity and scholarly purpose, the work framed its subject not merely as a political chronicle, but as a sustained examination of the Medici as a family and a historical force across generations. As Young explained in his preface, “The history of the Medici is a deeply interesting story…my aim has been to write of them as a family—their rise, their ‘course upon the mountain tops,’ and their decline and end,” thereby establishing a thematic arc that traced the dynasty from its ascent to its eventual dissolution. By situating the Medici within this wider familial and cultural trajectory, Young produced a synthesis that remained foundational for readers seeking an enduring interpretation of Medici power, patronage, and legacy.
The Medici.
$4,800.00
In Stock
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