[Prospectus or Commemorative Catalogue of] Bentley's Standard Novels & Romances |Bentley's Favourite Novels

Author: 
[Richard Bentley & Son, publishers].
Bentley's Standard Novels & Romances
Publication details: 
[New Burlington Street, London], Printed January 1882.
£125.00
SKU: 10211

One Hundred Copies only. [16]pp., cr.8vo, sewn as issued, unopened, tastefully printed in brown with decoration on hand-made paper, good condition. Sadleir, in XIX Century Fiction, describes this as A Prospectus of the Standard and Favourite Novels issued in January 1882. Given it's date, I would suggest it's a Commemorative Catalogue of a series which has great significance in publishing history. It gives the information present in Sadleir (II.100-4), but it calls the phantom Second Series (Sadleir) Bentley's Standard Novels. The Re-Issue. 1854-1859?. It also lists (not Sadleir), Bentley's Favourite Novels, 1863-1882, adding three titles to follow in 1882, with nos.83-100 left blank. The limitation to one hundred copies begs questions about distribution, but the Bentley's were not averse to quality publishing in limited numbers, for personal pleasure or very limited distribution (eg. perhaps publishers at a dinner sale? or similar). Not listed on COPAC or WorldCat.