THE SIXTH DUKE OF DEVONSHIRE'S HANDBOOK OF CHATSWORTH. Edited with an introduction by John Martin Robinson. Printed for the Roxburghe Club, MMXX (2020). Reportedly published in a limited edition of only 500 copies, for members of the Club.

This Roxburghe edition is a facsimile of the 1844-5 Handbook to Chatsworth published by Frederic Shoberl Jr., "the most delightful and informative historic description of an English country house". The original book is extremely rare. Only twelve octavo copies are thought to have been produced originally and some of these have disappeared.

Faux gray leather covers based on a binding design on a copy at Chatsworth known as the Duchess's Copy, the endpapers' design is from a detail of the curtains in the library at Chatsworth, 10x10.5 inches (25x26.5 cm), 271 pages, illustrated.

NEAR FINE condition, there is a previous owner's bookplate on the front pastedown and on the front free-endpaper, otherwise the book is sharp, tight, bright, clean, clear and unmarked. A very nice copy.

From the Roxburghe Club:

******This finely produced facsimile has been taken from the copy formerly at Castle Howard and now at Chatsworth. The 6th Duke's additions and changes recorded in manuscript in his personal working copy have been included in the wide margins of this edition together with notes explaining the well known people and places mentioned. These are augmented by the Duke's notes and brief additional biographical sketches at the end; watercolor illustrations from the large paper Chatsworth copy of the Handbook and the Devonshire Collections are included. The production of this volume has been entirely the work of John Martin Robinson, our esteemed Secretary, and Robert Dalrymple, the designer, with help from Fran Baker, our Archivist and Librarian.******

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