William Hepworth Dixon — Royal Windsor

London, Hurst and Blackett, Publishers , 1879-1880. Leather. A finely bound study of Windsor Castle by notable English historian William Hepworth Dixon. From the library of the great grandson of Andrews Pears (of Pears soap fame). Volume I and Volume II fourth edition. Volume III and Volume IV have no edition remarks, dated 1880. Editions were published closely together, with the second and third editions also dated 1879-1880. Complete in four volumes.Folding engraved frontispiece of a view of Windsor in Plantagenet period to Volume I. From English historian and traveller William Hepworth Dixon, who here offers a detailed description and account of Windsor Castle, beginning with its Norman origins in the 11th century. Dixon, who was active in organising London's Great Exhibition of 1851, finished revising the proof sheets of the final volumes just before his death in late 1879.      In writing this text, Dixon was permitted by Queen Victoria to examine every part of Windsor Castle, and was given the full assistance of her entire staff, including the Librarian, Master of the Rolls, and a host of other experts. From the library of Andrew Pears, Spring Grove, Isleworth, the great grandson of the inventor of the world's first mass-mark transparent soap, whose soap factory was in Isleworth. Spring Grove House is a Grade II listed building, originally the home of the famous botanist Sir Joseph Banks, and then rebuilt in the late 19th century for the Pears family. Mr. Pears substantially enlarged and rebuilt the house between 1892 and 1894, creating the grand Victorian house that we see today. It is recorded that Queen Victoria asked her coachman to slow the horses of her carriage as she viewed "Mr. Pears' beautiful grounds".    Uniformly bound in half morocco, with marbled boards and decorative gilt to the spines. Externally, excellent, with only minor rubbing to the edges and corners. Bookplate of one Andrew Pears, Spring Grove, Isleworth, to the front paste downs. Internally, firmly bound. Pages are bright and generally clean, with a few spots to the endpapers. Near Fine . Ill.: None. Near Fine .