1. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Emily Albinia “Alba” Foster] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire].

Amazing Vere Foster-Collection including Educational Materials and as a centerpiece the “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 With a stunning, unpublished, two-page-letter, revealing several important details about the immediately favorable reviews and reception of the book [″in the Daily Telegraph”] and Vere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”. / 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. [See Full list of items which are part of this collection, on our website under the topic “Libraries & Collections”].

First Edition. London / Glasgow and Dublin, Blackie & Son Limited, 1898. Octavo (15 cm x 22 cm). Pagination: Frontispiece, IX, [3], 497 pages with 18 Illustrations (including frontispiece and one Vignette of the two Duchesses opposite page 1). Hardcover / Original, publisher’s green cloth with gilt lettering on spine. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. This is an astonishing find for the Vere Foster Research Community and the letter gives significant insight into the importance the publication had for him, its reception as seen by Vere Foster and it solves the riddle why an altertaion was necessary for the second edition [which Vere Foster explains in a brief note to the reader at the beginning of the second edition]. The heartfelt inscription to his niece Albinia Foster is also of great importance and to our knowledge the only presentation-copy of this book on the international market for the several decades we can look back at auction records.

2. [Foster, Vere] Beauvoisins, Joseph Eugène.

Notice sur la cour du Grand Seigneur, son Sérail, son Harem, la Famille de Sang Impérial, sa Maison militaire, et ses Ministres [Personal copy of irish educationalist and philanthropist, Vere Foster, a gift from his father, Sir Augustus Foster, possibly only inscribed in a secretarial hand, on the titlepage].

Seconde édition. Paris, Chez Gabriel Warée, Libraire, quai Voltaire, 1807. Octavo (13 cm x 19,5 cm). 110 pages. Hardcover / Original half-leather with original spine-label and ornament to spine. Binding rubbed and bumped. Old stamp “de la Calmette” on titlepage. The inscription reads: “Vere Henry Foster from Sir A.F. – London, 1845”.

3. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire] / [Publisher Blackie & Son – Publishing House in Glasgow].

Publisher’s original “Private Library” – Correction-Copy of “The Two Duchesses”, for the “Second Edition”, with necessary alterations and wishes for changes marked by the corrector / publisher in pencil. Comparisons between pages allow to see the changes in effect if one compares the first and second edition. [A sensational find] / 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”]. Excellent, very clean binding. Very good condition with some minor signs of wear only. “Publisher’s Copy” with the publisher’s library sticker and bookplate to pastedown: “Blackie & Son Limited – Private Library – Case Kd – Shelf 5” – Exlibris of Blackie & Son below the library-sticker.

4. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis] / [Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire / Elizabeth, Duchess of Devonshire].

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.

5. [Foster, Vere] Colgan, Brendan.

Vere Foster – English Gentleman, Irish Champion 1819 – 1900.

Belfast, Fountain Publishing, 2001. Octavo (17 cm x 21 cm). XV, 125 pages. Original Hardcover with original dustjacket. Excellent condition with only very minor signs of wear.

6. [Foster, Vere] McNeill, Mary.

Vere Foster 1819-1900 – An Irish Benefactor.

Newton Abbot, David & Charles, 1971. Octavo (14,5 cm x 21,5 cm). 259 pages. Original Hardcover with original dustjacket. Excellent condition with only very minor signs of wear.

7. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis].

Vere Foster’s Copy Books: Lettering Plain and Ornamental.

London and Glasgow, Blackie & Son Limited, no year (c. 1870). Oblong – Octavo (21 cm x 17 cm). 24 pages with typographical Alphabets in Italic, Roman, Egyptian, Engrossing, Old English, German [Fraktur], Old English Ornamented, German Ornamented, Italic Ornamented, Roman Ornamented, Gothic Initials, Church Text, French, Celtic [also Gaelic, “Gaeilge”], Children’s Alphabet, etc. Softcover. Some fraying to wrapper. A little dusty but overall very good.

8. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis].

Vere Foster’s Landscape Painting for Beginners. Two Volumes (complete set): [Volume I: First Stage – Teaching the Use of One Colour – Ten Facsimiles of Original Studies in Sepia by J.Callow and Numerous Illustrations in Pencil with Full Instructions in Easy Language. / Second Stage – Teaching the Use of Seven Colours – Twenty Facsimiles of Original Drawings by J.Callow and Many Illustrations in Pencil. With Full Instructions in Easy Language].

London / Glasgow and Bombay, Blackie & Son Limited, no year (c. 1890). Octavo (19 cm x 24 cm). Volume I: 40 pages with tipped in plates. / Volume II: 76 pages with tipped-in plates plus 4 pages of a Bookseller-Catalogue by Blackie & Son, to the rear of the Volume, listing all of Vere Foster’s Water-Colour Books, Vere Foster’s Drawing-Books etc. Hardcover / Original, very decorative publisher’s cloth with colourful illustrations to the front covers. Unusuall excellent condition (see images).

9. Foster, Vere [Henry Louis / Lewis].

Vintage 19th Century Vere Foster Pen Nib-Box – “The Vere Foster Finest Quality Steel Pens – The Best Pen for Schools – Medium Points”.

England, The Educational Co., Ltd. no year (c. 1880). 6 cm x 4 cm x 2,4 cm. Softcover. Overall very good with a minor dent to top.