THE GAME OF OMBRE.
London: Printed for Private Circulation [by the Chiswick Press], 1902. Quarto. Deep green cloth boards, gilt border and spine titles, T.E.G. ix,[1],133,[3] pp. Preface by the author, index. Two black and white plates, with tissue guards, and two full color plates; head and tail pieces. Offsetting to endpapers, the bookplate of [Baron] Henry Sanderson Furniss affixed to front pastedown, signed inscription on recto of first free endpaper, "To Wm. Nicholl / from the author / January 4 1904." Very good throughout.
Third expanded edition. Limited to 100 copies printed for the private bibliophile's club, the Roxburghe Club; a larger format edition of only 50 copies in brown leather also published [no limitation advice indicated in present copy]. A charming book that purports to teach the game of Ombre to anyone but cautions you will need to practice to be adept at the game. The game has featured in various books of fiction and poetry, for example, “In Alexander Pope's mock epic poem The Rape of the Lock (1712-1717), his heroine Belinda plays Ombre with Sir Anonym and "The Baron". The latter is conspiring to steal a lock of her hair - or perhaps more of a tress, since the acknowledged effect would be to mar her beauty. The course of the game is described in sufficient detail to enable a reconstruction to be made, and Lord Aldenham does so, with a perceptive analysis of the play and the probable outcome of possible alternatives.” Historic Card Games, by David Parlett. In point of fact, Lord Aldenham reproduces the very game in the chapter "Belinda's Game." Very good. Item #698
Price: $350.00