RARE 49 Vol British Authors From The Library Of J.C. Peasley, Chicago By Wilkie Collins, 19th C

A rare group of books from the infamous collection of J.C. Peasley.
James C. Peasley (James Carr Peasley) was a prominent banker and railroad executive in Chicago, Illinois, during the late 19th century. Railroad Executive and he served as the First Vice President of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company (CB&Q). He was a member of the Board of Directors for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago Records indicate he was a bank note signer and served as an officer at the National State Bank. The Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company, with which he was affiliated, has extensive historical records documenting financial and legal matters, construction, and personnel from that era. James Carr Peasley was widely recognized for possessing one of the finest personal libraries in Chicago.

His library was frequently cited in local records, such as the Chicago Tribune, as one of the most significant private collections in the city. The name "J. C. Peasley" appears at the bottom of the spine because it was a custom owner's stamp used to identify volumes from his private collection.

The stamp means James C. Peasley didn't just buy the book; he commissioned a bookbinder to strip the original paper covers and create a custom leather or cloth binding specifically for his personal collection. Tauchnitz editions were sold as cheap paperbacks so travelers could buy them at train stations and have them bound later to match their home libraries. A spine stamp indicates Peasley followed this tradition of high-end customization.

The collection includes 49 English literary works by Wilkie Collins both copyright editions (CE) and Tauchnitz editions including:
Basil
The Frozen Deep
My Lady's Money Etc
Haunted Hotel
The Guilty River Etc
Miss or Mrs?
The Two Destinies
After Dark
A Plot in Private Life
The Black Robe I, II
The New Magdalen I, II
Poor Miss Finch I, II
Legacy of Cain, II
Heart and Science, I, II
No Name, I, II, III
Jezebel's Daughter, I, II
Antonia, I, II
Fallen Leaves, I, II
I Say No, I, II
The Evil Genius, I, II
Hide and Seek, I, II
Blind Love I, II
The Moonstone, I, II
The Law and The Lady, I, II
Armadale, I, II, III
The Woman in White, I, II
Dead Secret I, II
Man and Wife I, II,III

The books with burgundy leather boards, gold print including J. C. Peasley on lower spine, marbleized boards and end-wraps, gold margin.
Tauchnitz editions, Leipzig, Bernhard Tauchnitz. Copyright editions.

Dimensions: 6 1/2" x 4 3/4" x 3/4"

Condition: fair condition with losses/wear to top and bottom spines, wear to edges, some flaking, dulling to corners, dry leather.