Wilson, Taft, Roosevelt, Bryan & Ellen Wilson Signed Bookplates in 5-Vol. 1st Ed. Set, Wilson's "History of the American People"

A complete 5-volume First Edition set of Woodrow Wilson (1856-1924), "A History of the American People…In Five Volumes" (New York and London: Harper & Brothers Publishers, October 1902). Each volume features an autographed bookplate on the front pastedown endpaper: signers include 26th-28th U.S. Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, William H. Taft, and Woodrow Wilson, as well as First Lady Ellen Wilson and 3-times unsuccessful Democratic presidential nominee William Jennings Bryan. Bound in shiny red publisher's buckram, with gilt embossed front covers and spines, and gilt top edges. Expected wear including minor toning, scattered foxing mostly confined to the pastedown endpapers, minor bumping or fraying of spine extremes and cover corners, and isolated scuffs and binding cracks. Other condition issues affecting specific volumes are listed below. Stacked, the books measure 6.25" x 8.875" x 8.875" and collectively total 1748pp.

A handsome set with an impressive array of autographs! The volumes are richly "Illustrated with Portraits, Maps, Plans, Facsimiles, Rare Prints, Contemporary Views, Etc." with many if not all of the full-page images and frontispiece engravings still protected by their original intact tissue guards. The autographed bookplates belong to well-known American bookplate collectors Charles Dexter Allen (1865-1926), author of "American Bookplates: A Guide To Their Study With Examples" (1894), and his wife Frances Louise Allen (1866-1956), from Hartford, Connecticut.

The set is comprised of:

1. Volume I, "The Swarming of the English," the front bookplate signed by Woodrow Wilson, as "Woodrow Wilson / 22 May, 1913." With a former owner's signature and a retail seller's pencil inscription on the front loose endpaper. 350pp.

2. Volume II, "Colonies and Nation," the front bookplate signed by William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925), as "W J Bryan," and dated in another hand as "June 1913." 369pp.

3. Volume III, "The Founding of the Government," the front bookplate signed by William H. Taft (1857-1930), as "Wm H Taft." A partial textblock separation from the binding occurs between p. 160 and p. 161. Partly ripped back pastedown endpaper, else very good. 348pp.

4. Volume IV, "Critical Changes and Civil War," the front bookplate signed by Ellen Axson Wilson (1860-1914), as "Ellen A. Wilson." 343pp.

5. Volume V, "Reunion and Naturalization," the front bookplate signed by Theodore Roosevelt (1858-1919), as "Theodore Roosevelt / Good luck!," and dated in another hand as "May 1913." The textblock is separated from the binding at the back of the book, and there is a minor closed tear to the spine, else very good. 338pp.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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