Elizabeth Gaskell — Wives and Daughters

Leipzig, Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1866. First edition. Leather. The very scarce first Tauchnitz edition of Elizabeth Gaskell's final novel, a smartly bound set. The very scarce first Tauchnitz edition, published in the same year as the first U.K. edition in book form.Complete in three volumes.'Wives and Daughters' follows the only daughter of a widowed doctor, Molly Gibson, as she grows up in a provincial English town in the 1830s.This novel was originally serialised in the 'Cornhill Magazine' from August 1864 to January 1866. Gaskell died before finishing it, so the final section was written by Frederick Greenwood.Bound without half-titles. This edition was published by Bernhard Tauchnitz. Tauchnitz started his 'Collection of British Authors' in 1842, and it continued for almost exactly 100 years. By breaking with the European practise of ignoring British copyright law, Tauchnitz was a driving force behind international agreements on international copyright protection. The goodwill he gained from British authors enabled him to be the principal continental publisher of English language works. He was often sent early proofs, and so was able to first publish at the same time or very soon after the British publisher. In a full calf binding with gilt decoration. Externally, smart. A little light rubbing to the boards and spines. A few light marks to the boards, mostly to Volume III. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are lightly age-toned and clean. Half-titles have been removed. Very Good Indeed . Ill.: None. Very Good Indeed .