Asprey Reference Library

A charming desk library by Asprey of London with a complete set of leather-bound books. Circa 1931.

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 complete set, fully bound in pigskin leather and blocked in gold, is presented in a polished wooden book stand. 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: 22 cm/8⅝ inches (length) x 17 cm/6¾ inches (depth) x 19.5 cm/7⅝ 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.