Mary Russel Mitford — Our Village

London, Macmillan, 1893 . Cloth. A wonderfully illustrated copy of Mitford's sketches on rural life, with illustrations to accompany by Hugh Thomson. In the publisher's original cloth binding with decorative gilt floral design to the front board and to the spine.The first edition of the work was published in 1824. The first edition of the work with these particular illustrations by Hugh Thomson, was published in November 1893. This is the second impression of the illustrated edition, printed in December 1893. Mary Russell Mitford (1787-1855) was an English author and dramatist, best known for 'Our Village', as well as 'Rienzi: A Tragedy in Five Acts' and other dramatic works. This is a wonderful copy of Mitford's 'Our Village', which contains one-hundred literary sketches on the joys of rural life. Originally published in serial form through 'The Lady's Magazine' in the 1820s and 1830s, the series is based upon a small hamlet in the parish of Shinfield. Illustrated with a frontispiece and one-hundred full-text and in-text illustrations by Hugh Thomson (1860-1920), an Irish illustrator and founder of the 'Cranford School', whose drawings appeared in works by Austen, Dickens, and J.M. Barrie.With a bookplate of R. McGregor to the reverse of the front endpaper, dated 1929. In the publisher's original cloth binding with gilt to the front board and to the spine. Externally, very smart, with light bumping to the extremities and to the head and tail of the spine. Slight loss to the head of the spine. Slight rubbing, particularly to the spine. The occasional mark to boards. Bookplate to the reverse of the front endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Pages bright and clean with the odd scattering of spots. Very Good . Ill.: Hugh Thomson. Very Good .