It is a truth universally acknowledged that a bibliophile in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a 1894 deluxe edition of Pride and Prejudice. The first fully illustrated edition, adorned with Hugh Thomson’s pen and ink drawings and printed on fine China paper, is expected to sell for A$15,000 (£7,300) at Melbourne’s rare book fair this week.
The edition reflects the late 19th-century renaissance of Jane Austen’s reputation after her books spent decades out of print. Bound by the famed Riviere bindery, it exemplifies the collision of literary legacy and exquisite craftsmanship, according to its dealer, Pom Harrington.
