This first edition of The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne is very finely bound by Robert Riviere with a fore-edge painting of The Plestor, the village square in Selborne, reproduced from one of the original illustrations for the first edition of The Natural History. The original illustrations were commissioned by Gilbert White himself from the Swiss painter Samuel Hieronymus Grimm. Fore-edge paintings are very rare and this edition will make a very valuable exhibition item. Robert Riviere was an English bookbinder of French descent. He was an accomplished craftsman and his styles and techniques have not often been surpassed.
The second volume is a Mitford edition of The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, bound in its original grey boards with paper label. This book is extremely rare in this condition. It is a presentation copy and is inscribed by John White the publisher (Gilbert’s nephew) to his friend W. Ansell in 1825.
These books will further the Gilbert White’s House objectives and activities, in that both are very fine editions of The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, both are extremely rare and both have considerable curiosity value. Given that we have a virtually complete collection of the published editions of The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, they will both complement and add to our current collection.
We frequently hold days in which our book collection is on display, facilitated by our expert library volunteers. We find that there are considerable numbers of visitors who are fascinated by our books, and greatly appreciate the expertise of our volunteers and staff in showing the collection and discussing it with them. These books will be displayed on these occasions, when the fore-edge painting can be demonstrated and the inscription indicated.