A charming desk library by Asprey of London with a complete set of reference books bound in navy blue textured leather. Circa 1921.
The library contents consist of eight volumes:
Dictionary Atlas Gazetteer French and English Dictionary Encyclopaedia French and Latin Quotations English Quotations and Proverbs Classics and Mythology
This is a full leather bound set, blocked in gold and presented in a wooden book stand, marked Asprey, London. A superbly decorative desk accessory in its own right, the individual volumes, particularly the gazetteer, atlas, and quotations, provide entertaining snippets of wisdom and history.
Dimensions: 20.5 cm/8 inches (width) x 18 cm/7⅛ inches (depth) x 18.25 cm/7¼ inches (height).
The miniature reference library featured in the Asprey range from the very late 19th century and for the first 35 years of the 20th century. The idea was the creation of one of Asprey's neighbours, 'Houghton & Gunn', who were one of London's top stationers and bookbinders. The company was bought by Asprey at the turn of the 19th/20th century. Various disciplines were used to prepare the elements of the volumes, with specialist publishers contributing, in particular, the atlas and gazetteer.
