AN ENQUIRY INTO THE DUTIES OF THE FEMALE SEX
By Thomas Gisborne, M.A.
Thirteenth Edition
London: Printed for T. Cadell, in the Strand; and W. Blackwood, Edinburgh, 1823.
An attractive and highly decorative early 19th-century pocket edition of Thomas Gisborne's influential work on the education, conduct, domestic responsibilities and Christian duties of women.
Originally published in 1797, Gisborne's An Enquiry into the Duties of the Female Sex enjoyed considerable popularity and passed through numerous editions. The original edition treated subjects including female education, conversation, amusements, marriage, parental duties and the different stages of a woman's life.
Gisborne (1758–1846) was an Anglican clergyman and religious writer closely associated with the evangelical circle surrounding William Wilberforce. The book is consequently of interest not only as an early work concerning women's education and social history, but also within the history of British Evangelicalism.
Interestingly, the work was read by Jane Austen: a surviving letter to her sister Cassandra dated 30 August 1805 refers to her reading “Gisborne” and being pleased with it.
This particularly attractive small-format edition contains an engraved title/frontispiece. Another documented copy of the 1823 thirteenth edition is described with 288 pages and engraved frontispiece and title page.
Binding:
A very attractive period full leather binding, richly decorated in gilt and blind tooling. Both boards have elaborate ornamental gilt borders surrounding blind-tooled central panels. The spine is divided into compartments with raised bands and gilt lettering/decoration. Decorative gilt turn-ins and marbled endpapers complete what is a particularly appealing little Georgian binding.
Provenance:
The front blank bears an attractive contemporary presentation inscription which appears to read:
“Martha Hazlehurst with the kind regards of her sincere friend Mary Beever.”
An appealing piece of early provenance particularly appropriate to a work concerning women and female life.
Pagination: vi, [2], 1–288.
Size: approximately 140 × 77 × 22 mm.
Weight: approximately 169 g.
Antique condition with considerable signs of age and use, all of which should be carefully noted from the photographs.
The handsome original leather binding remains very attractive overall, retaining much of its gilt decoration, but there is significant wear and deterioration to the spine, including loss/wear at the spine ends and along the joints, particularly at one end as photographed. Boards have rubbing, scuffing and general age-related wear.
There is noticeable historic water/damp staining, particularly affecting the preliminary leaves, engraved material and adjoining pages, with further toning, spotting, marks and occasional foxing commensurate with a book now over 200 years old.
Contemporary presentation inscription to the front blank as described above.
Please examine all photographs carefully as these form an important part of the condition description.
Despite the faults, this remains a very attractive and characterful 1823 copy in an unusually decorative period leather binding, with engravings and interesting contemporary provenance.
Author: Thomas Gisborne
Title: An Enquiry into the Duties of the Female Sex
Edition: Thirteenth Edition
Publisher: T. Cadell / W. Blackwood
Place of Publication: London / Edinburgh
Year: 1823
Language: English
Binding: Full Leather
Original/Facsimile: Original
Subject: Religion / Women / Conduct / Social History
Special Attributes: Illustrated; Fine Binding; Leather Bound; Engraved Plates; Presentation Inscription
Region: Europe
Country: United Kingdom