Burton, John Hill. The Book Hunter. Edinburgh & London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1882. Limited to 1000 large paper copies (though limitation leaf is lacking). Revised edition, with a memoir of the author by his widow Katharine Burton. Five illustrations (two full-page, with tissue guards). Skillfully illuminated in metallic gold and silver, as well as purple, green, pink, blue, orange, red, white, and yellow watercolors. Rebound in black cloth with red leather spine label. Page edges lightly browned.
According to Rosenblum: "A pleasant exploration of the nature of book collecting. Part 1, 'His Nature,' considers the character of the bibliophile. Here Burton presents such characters as 'Inch-rule Brewer,' who 'is guiltless of all intermeddling with the contents of books, but in their external attributes his learning is marvelous.' Another figure is Magnus Lucullus, Esq.: 'He must have the best and most complete editions, whether common or rare; and . . . They must be in perfect condition.' Part 2 examines the functions of the bibliophile, Part 3 his clubs. Many of these, such as the Roxburghe (England) and the Camden, initiated publishing programs, and these publications are the subject of the final unit. Combines information with entertainment."