Antique 19th-Century Surtees Sporting Novels – 6-Volume Illustrated Set, Hand-Colored Plates
A magnificent six-volume antique set of the classic sporting novels of R. S. Surtees, England’s beloved chronicler of 19th-century foxhunting life. Published by Bradbury, Agnew & Co. (Bouverie Street, London) and richly illustrated by John Leech and H. K. Browne (“Phiz”), these volumes represent some of the finest Victorian sporting literature ever produced.
The set includes Surtees’s most celebrated works
- Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour
- Ask Mamma
- Plain or Ringlets?
- Mr. Romford’s Hounds
- Handley Cross
- Hawbuck Grange
Each volume is beautifully illustrated with hand-colored steel engravings, capturing Surtees’s unforgettable blend of humor, social satire, and countryside sporting chaos — from bounding foxhounds and lively hunts to delightfully eccentric English gentry.
The books are uniformly bound in late 19th-century half morocco, a bespoke luxury binding executed in deep red leather with:
- raised gilt bands
- gilt sporting motifs (horns, fox masks, horses, whips, and hunting dogs)
- marbled boards, edges, and endpapers
- strong shelf presence and a richly decorative display
This binding style reflects the height of Victorian bibliophilic taste, transforming Surtees’s humorous novels into a collector-grade library set — elegant, substantial, and beautifully cohesive.
These volumes were often commissioned by sporting gentlemen or country-house libraries, and this set clearly belonged to such a tradition. The hand-coloring on the plates remains vivid; the spines and gilt work gleam with late-Victorian craftsmanship; and the overall presentation is both stately and spirited.
A handsome, display-worthy set that appeals to lovers of English literature, equestrian and sporting history, Victorian illustration, and fine bindings.
Details:
• Author: Robert Smith Surtees
• Publisher: Bradbury, Agnew & Co., London
• Date: c. 1870–1890
• Illustrators: John Leech & H. K. Browne (“Phiz”)
• Binding: Half morocco over marbled boards, gilt sporting emblems
• Features: Hand-colored steel engravings in each volume
• Condition: Age-expected foxing to some plates; bindings tight and beautifully preserved
• Set: Complete, 6 volumes
A remarkable library treasure — both literary and decorative.
Antique 19th-Century Surtees Sporting Novels – 6-Volume Illustrated Set, Hand-Colored Plates
A magnificent six-volume antique set of the classic sporting novels of R. S. Surtees, England’s beloved chronicler of 19th-century foxhunting life. Published by Bradbury, Agnew & Co. (Bouverie Street, London) and richly illustrated by John Leech and H. K. Browne (“Phiz”), these volumes represent some of the finest Victorian sporting literature ever produced.
The set includes Surtees’s most celebrated works
- Mr. Sponge’s Sporting Tour
- Ask Mamma
- Plain or Ringlets?
- Mr. Romford’s Hounds
- Handley Cross
- Hawbuck Grange
Each volume is beautifully illustrated with hand-colored steel engravings, capturing Surtees’s unforgettable blend of humor, social satire, and countryside sporting chaos — from bounding foxhounds and lively hunts to delightfully eccentric English gentry.
The books are uniformly bound in late 19th-century half morocco, a bespoke luxury binding executed in deep red leather with:
- raised gilt bands
- gilt sporting motifs (horns, fox masks, horses, whips, and hunting dogs)
- marbled boards, edges, and endpapers
- strong shelf presence and a richly decorative display
This binding style reflects the height of Victorian bibliophilic taste, transforming Surtees’s humorous novels into a collector-grade library set — elegant, substantial, and beautifully cohesive.
These volumes were often commissioned by sporting gentlemen or country-house libraries, and this set clearly belonged to such a tradition. The hand-coloring on the plates remains vivid; the spines and gilt work gleam with late-Victorian craftsmanship; and the overall presentation is both stately and spirited.
A handsome, display-worthy set that appeals to lovers of English literature, equestrian and sporting history, Victorian illustration, and fine bindings.
Details:
• Author: Robert Smith Surtees
• Publisher: Bradbury, Agnew & Co., London
• Date: c. 1870–1890
• Illustrators: John Leech & H. K. Browne (“Phiz”)
• Binding: Half morocco over marbled boards, gilt sporting emblems
• Features: Hand-colored steel engravings in each volume
• Condition: Age-expected foxing to some plates; bindings tight and beautifully preserved
• Set: Complete, 6 volumes
A remarkable library treasure — both literary and decorative.