Very Rare Lord Byron's Works. 1819. 6 Volumes. Early Edition

  
LORD BYRON DIED IN 1824, AFTER PLAYING AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN FREEING GREECE FROM THE YOKE OF THE OTTOMAN TURKS. IN 1812, HE BECAME AN OVERNIGHT CELEBRITY AFTER THE PUBLICATION OF THE FIRST TWO CANTOS OF HIS EPIC CHILDE HAROLD'S PILGRIMAGE. HE IS ONE OF OUR GREATEST POETS, AND FASCINATION WITH HIS'COMPLICATED' PRIVATE LIFE CONTINUES TO THIS DAY. FOR SALE IS AN EXTREMELY RARE SET OF 6 VOLUMES OF HIS WORKS UP TO 1819, 5 YEARS BEFORE HIS DEATH.

POPULAR AUTHORS FREQUENTLY HAD THEIR WORKS'PIRATED' BY UNSCRUPULOUS PUBLISHERS. BYRON'S PUBLISHER WAS JOHN MURRAY OF LONDON. THIS SET WAS PUBLISHED BY GALIGNANI OF PARIS IN 1819. THE GALIGNANI FAMILY HAS A LONG HISTORY IN PUBLISHING. SIMONE GALIGNANI PUBLISHED HIS FIRST BOOK IN VENICE IN 1520.

AT THE END OF THE 17th CENTURY, THE FAMILY BUSINESS MOVED TO LONDON AND THEN TO PARIS, WHERE GIOVANNI ANTONIO GALIGNANI OPENED A BOOKSHOP ON THE RUE VIVIENNE, WHICH ALSO HAD A READING ROOM SPECIALISING IN ENGLISH PUBLICATIONS. HE ALSO PUBLISHED A NEWSPAPER, "GALIGNANI'S MESSENGER", FOR ENGLISH TOURISTS ON THE CONTINENT. IN 1818, GALIGNANI, REALISING THE POPULARITY OF BYRON'S WORKS, PUBLISHED A SIX-VOLUME PIRATED SET. IT WAS SO POPULAR THAT HE PUBLISHED A SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND UPDATED, IN 1819. HE HAD FOUND A CHEAPER WAY TO PRINT BOOKS THAN THE ENGLISH METHOD, AND SINCE BOOKS WERE EXPENSIVE IN BRITAIN THEN, MANY PEOPLE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF MUCH CHEAPER SETS THAT WERE ALSO MORE CAREFULLY RESEARCHED THAN JOHN MURRAY'S SETS. LORD TENNYSON'S BYRON WAS A GALIGNANI SET. LORD BYRON DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE OBJECTED TO THE PIRACY.

IN APRIL 1819 HE WROTE A CIVIL LETTER TO GALIGNANI, POINTING OUT THAT 2 PIECES ATTRIBUTED TO HIM IN THE "MESSENGER",'THE VAMPIRE' AND'RESIDENCE IN THE ISLAND OF MITYLANE', WERE NOT BY HIM AT ALL. HE MAY HAVE HAD AN ARRANGEMENT WITH GALIGNANI. THERE IS NO COMPARABLE SET FOR SALE ON THE INTERNET.

HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE THAT THESE VOLUMES ARE HEAVILY FOXED, THE MARBLING OF THE BOARDS IS RUBBED, ALTHOUGH THE QUARTER LEATHER BINDINGS ARE INTACT, AND THE SPINE TIPS ARE RUBBED, AND IN THE CASE OF VOLUMES 1. PLEASE LOOK AT MY OTHER LISTINGS FOR ITEMS OUTSIDE THE MAINSTREAM. This item is in the category "Books, Comics & Magazines\Antiquarian & Collectable". The seller is "freetibet3" and is located in this country: GB.

This item can be shipped worldwide.

1. Year Printed: 1819
2. Country/Region of Manufacture: France
3. Fiction Subject: POETRY
4. Binding: Hardback
5. Original/Reproduction: Original
6. Region: WORLD
7. Shape: Rectangle
8. Age: 203
9. Author: LORD BYRON
10. Original/Facsimile: Original
11. Language: English
12. Publisher: GALIGNANI
13. Place of Publication: PARIS
14. Special Attributes: Inscribed