1824 Rare Book Set - Sir Walter Scott’s Historical Romances, Ivanhoe, etc.

Author: Sir Walter Scott.
Title: Scott’s Historical Romances: Ivanhoe, The Monastery, The Abbot, and Kenilworth.
Publisher: Edinburgh, for Archibald Constable & Co.; and London, for Hurst, Robinson & Co., 1824. Complete set of six Volumes.
Language: Text in English.
Size: Each volume 5.5 ×3.4 inches.
Volumes: Complete in six volumes.
Binding: Attractive and very good handsomely bound in contemporary full black polished calf, with elaborate gilt tooling to the spines and covers. The spines richly decorated in gilt floral compartments, with raised bands and gilt-lettered title panels reading Scott’s Historical Romances. Gilt dentelles and gilt edges (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. Overall, a remarkably well-preserved and elegant set.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, rare light foxing, toning and staining - as shown). Each volume opens with an engraved frontispiece by leading 19th-century artists such as T. Stothard, H. Howard, and C. Heath, and a vignette title page scene. 
Illustrations: Beautifully illustrated with engraved plates and vignette title pages, depicting key moments from Ivanhoe, The Monastery, The Abbot, and Kenilworth — four of Scott’s greatest historical novels.

Estimate: (USD 500–700).

The books: A splendid 1824 edition of Sir Walter Scott’s Historical Romances, uniting in six finely bound volumes his greatest narratives of chivalry, faith, and historical intrigue. The set includes Ivanhoe — the tale that defined the modern historical novel — alongside The Monastery, The Abbot, and Kenilworth, each blending romantic adventure with moral reflection. Issued by Constable and Hurst, Robinson & Co. at the height of Scott’s fame, these volumes reflect both the literary prestige and typographic excellence of early 19th-century British publishing. Their sumptuous gilt bindings and engraved plates make this an outstanding collector’s set, combining literary heritage and decorative beauty.

The author: Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) was a Scottish novelist, poet, and historian whose works defined historical fiction as a literary form. His “Waverley Novels” — including Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, The Heart of Midlothian, and The Bride of Lammermoor — captured the romantic imagination of 19th-century Europe. Scott’s ability to evoke medieval chivalry, religious conflict, and Scottish national identity earned him enduring renown as one of the great architects of historical narrative. His novels influenced generations of writers and readers, establishing a bridge between the romantic and modern literary traditions.

The illustrators: This edition features engravings after Thomas Stothard, Henry Howard, and Charles Heath, among the foremost illustrators of early 19th-century England. Their finely detailed plates, executed in steel and copper, capture the moral and dramatic force of Scott’s novels. The frontispieces — such as Ivanhoe and the Clerk of Copmanhurst Carousing and The Trial of Rebecca — stand as classic examples of Regency-era book art, harmonizing perfectly with the author’s romantic vision.