The Two Duchesses – Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire – Family Correspondence of and Relating to Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire, Earl of Bristol (Bishop of Derby), The Countess of Bristol, Lord and Lady Byron, The Earl of Aberdeen, Sir Augustus Foster Bart, and Others, 1777-1859. First Edition. With 17 illustrations.
London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (16 cm x 22,5 cm). XII, 497 pages with 16 full-page-illustrations and one small vignette, showing the Two Duchesses in cordial embrace. Hardcover / Original, green publisher’s cloth with gilt lettering and ornament to spine and armorial supralibro to cover with the Motto of the “British chivalric Order of the Garter”: “Honi soit qui mal y pense” [″shame on anyone who thinks evil of it”]. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. “Presentation Copy of “The Two Duchesses” with Autograph / Manuscript – Letter by Vere Foster to his niece, Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster. With a stunning, unpublished, two-page manuscript letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book “Two Duchesses” [″in the Daily Telegraph”] and Vere Foster’s disdain about some criticism from one J.Donohue [which led to an alteration in the second edition of the book]. Vere Foster is also expecting a review to appear in the “Athenaeum” but reports: “the Athenaeum has nothing yet”. Vere Foster apologizes to his niece for the delay in sending the book and explains that he had left 12 “parcels” with Blackie’s agent and gave instructions to send them, but a few days later found they had been “untouched”. One of the most important finds of Vere Foster – Material in recent years with no sign of similar material on offer in the past years on the international market.
The 17 Portraits/Illustrations included, are:
1. Frontispiece: Lady Elizabeth Foster, Afterwards Duchess of Devonshire (from a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds)
2. The Two Duchesses (Vignette on page XII)
3. The Earl of Bristol, Bishop of Derry and his daughter, Lady Erne (page 2)
4. Mary (Hervey) , Lady Erne (page 43)
5. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (from a painting by Thomas Gainsborough) (page 84)
6. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (from a painting by Romney) (page 96)
7. Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire, and Child (from a painting by Sir Joshua Reynolds) (page 105)
8. Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire (from a painting) (page 132)
9. Louisa (Hervey), Lady Hawkesbury (page 150)
10. Sir Augustus Foster, Bart. – (Portrait of Sir Augustus Foster on page 154)
11. The Earl of Aberdeen (page 185)
12. The Finding Moses – Duchess Georgiana and other Ladies (page 278)
13. Lord Hawkesbury (second Earl of Liverpool) (page 317)
14. Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire (from a painting by Sir T.Lawrence) (page 340)
15. The Hon. Mrs. George Lamb (page 373)
16. Lady Albinia Foster [wife of Sir Augustus Foster and mother of Vere Foster] (page 411)
17. Vere Foster (Portrait of Vere Foster after a photograph) (page 466)
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