F.T. Richards Royal Game of Golf 1901

Title: The Royal Game of Golf
Author: Richards, F[rederick] T[hompson] (1864-1921)
Description: Complete with 6 hand-colored lithographed golf prints by Frederick Thompson Richards, featuring three different men and three different women, each in an elaborate period royal costume, dating from 1565, 1620, 1682, 1705, 1780, and 1840; and includes a royal family crest / coat-of-arms symbol in the upper corner. Each measuring 60x39 cm. (23¾x15½") (including margins), loosely housed inside the original portfolio, bound in tan cloth-backed boards with a hand-colored pictorial paper label with title, artist and publisher's names and illustration of a costumed gentlemen (of the circa 1700's period), which is not duplicated on any of the loose prints inside, plus marbled paper inside covers, cloth ties at fore-edge. First Edition.Richards' rare set of six hand-colored prints of royal-dressed golfers of the 16th to 19th centuries, each with Richards' printed signature dated 1901. Richards had also worked as an illustrator for the old Life magazine of the late 1800's. According to John & Morton Olman "later issues have been published in a smaller size," and were printed in color (not hand-colored). Publisher's small embossed circular imprint on the bottom right corner of hand-painted prints. Includes the often lacking portfolio and with the original hand-colored front cover paper label showing a male golfer in royal attire. Large red paint stain on the upper front cover label (slightly so to front board as well), possibly from the same paint used on the prints themselves. See Olman's Encyclopedia of Golf Collectibles, pp. 178.
Heading: Place Published: New York
Publisher: R.H. Russell
Date Published: [1901]

Soiling all over portfolio boards, rubbing and scratches; many short tears or creasing and crinkling at edges of plates, a few with chips at corners (some large); about very good.