Les trois mousquetaires

First illustrated edition, first printing, rare. The original was published in 1844 in eight volumes. A frontispiece portrait of Dumas by Beaucé, and 32 hors-texte by Delestre, Beaucé, Marckl, Wattier... Letters, tail-pieces, headpieces.
Bound in contemporary half black sheep. Spine with false bands, richly decorated boards with 4 large tooled motifs, roll-tooling on the tail and heads of the bands. Rubbed binding. Light scattered foxing, notably on several off-texts.
The paper is clean on the whole and unusually white. Corners dulled. A good copy.