Antique 1913 James Whitcomb Riley Complete Works 6 Vol Set 1st Ed Gilt Honeybee For Sale

Antique 1913 James Whitcomb Riley \"Complete Works\" Biographical Edition — Complete 6-Volume Set

Up for sale is a beautiful, complete matching antiquarian set of The Complete Works of James Whitcomb Riley (Biographical Edition), published in 1913 by The Bobbs-Merrill Company. This historic collection represents the first time the \"Hoosier Poet\'s\" entire lifetime of dialect poetry and prose was compiled chronologically.

✨ Collector & Aesthetic Highlights:

• Signature Honeybee Covers: Striking gold-gilded honeybees framed inside embossed hexagonal honeycombs on the front covers.

• Art Nouveau Spines: Bright gold-leaf lettering paired with elegant floral blind-stamped accent panels.

• Premium Edges: Finished with Top Edge Gilt (TEG) and rustic, rough-cut deckle side/bottom page edges.

• Unique History: Includes a crisp frontispiece portrait by Indiana artist T.C. Steele and a vintage 1995 bookstore inventory slip adding a lovely layer of provenance.

🔍 Crisp Condition Report (Graded: Very Good+):

• Structural Integrity: Both front and rear internal hinges are fully tight, uncracked, and secure across all six volumes—highly rare for a 113-year-old cloth set.

• Exterior: The original teal/green buckram cloth is clean and vibrant, showing only standard light shelf friction at corners and spine tips.

• Interior: The pages are remarkably clean, crisp, and completely free of water damage, heavy foxing, or ink markings (one tiny, faint vintage bookseller pencil notation sits in a blank flyleaf corner).

Please review photos carefully for item condition and description