J. Fitzgerald Molloy — The Most Gorgeous Lady Blessington

London, Downey & Co. 1896. First edition. Cloth. The first edition of this interesting biography regarding Marguerite Gardiner, the Countess of Blessington. The scarce first edition. Complete in two volumes. Uniformly bound in the publisher's original full cloth binding with gilt detail. The beautiful portrait frontispiece in volume one is loose but inserted into the book. An interesting biography of the Irish novelist and literary hostess, Marguerite Gardiner, Countess of Blessington. She is best known for her work describing her personal conversations with Lord Byron. Joseph Fitzgerald Molloy was an Irish author and member of London's Victorian literary circles, where he entertained Oscar Wilde and G. B. Shaw. He was also the private secretary of Sir Charles Gavan Duffy. Each volume has a half title page. With one page of publisher's advertisements to the front of volume one. With a subscription library bookplate to the front paste-down of both volumes. Uniformly bound in the publisher's original cloth. Externally, smart with shelf wear to the extremities. Marks to the boards. Subscription library bookplate to the front paste-down of each volume. Offsetting to the front free endpapers of both volumes. Rear hinge of volume one is starting but firm. Internally, binding strained but still firm. The frontispiece of volume one is loose but present. Light offsetting to the title page of volume one. Pages generally bright and clean with some light age-toning and the odd spot throughout. Very Good . Ill.: None. Very Good .