The Bibliographical Decameron
Or, Ten Days Pleasant Discourse upon Illuminated Manuscripts, and Subjects Connected with Early Engraving, Typography, and Bibliography
3 Volume Set

Bibliomania, the almost obsessive collecting of rare books and early editions by the aristocracy, which peaked in 1812 with the sale of the Valdarfer Boccaccio, was fuelled in no small part by the work of the bibliographer Thomas Frognall Dibdin (1776–1847). As well as serving as librarian for his patron, the second Earl Spencer, Dibdin was an avid author. His most famous book, Bibliomania, popularised the word's use in England. The present work was first published in three volumes in 1817 and may be considered a continuation of Bibliomania in both style and content. Using a dialogue format with extensive footnotes, it covers all aspects of bibliography from early illuminated manuscripts and printed books through to contemporary book collectors and auctions. The work is notable for the number and quality of its illustrations. Dibdin's Bibliomania (revised edition, 1811) and his Reminiscences of a Literary Life (1836) are also reissued in this series.

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Product details

• Date Published: January 2015
• format: Multiple copy pack
• isbn: 9781108076548
• length: 1832 pages

• dimensions: 244 x 170 x 95 mm
• weight: 2.96kg
• contains: 586 b/w illus. 5 colour illus.
• availability: Available