Golf: A Royal & Ancient Game - Robert Clark (editor) 1875 - R. &, Edinburgh - First Edition A near fine first edition of this history of golf, a rare golfing classic, in original cloth without repair or restoration. Formerly from the libraries of John Hamilton Buchanan (1861-1919) and Scottish lawyer John Kermack (1847-99), with their engraved armourial bookplates.

Illustrated with nine plates from paintings, engravings, etchings, etc., including two duotone lithographs, one colour plan of the golf course over St. Andrew's Links and frontispiece, with tissue-guards; plus numerous wood engravings and facsimiles throughout the text; title page with decorative gilt margins; decorative initials. Illustrations by Clark Stanton, C.A. Doyle and G. Aikman.

‘This book is one of the masterpieces of golf literature. It is also one of the most important contributions to the library of golf and one of the most handsomely produced of all golf books, even to this date.’ – Joseph Murdoch, ‘
The Library of Golf 1743-1966’.

‘Widely regarded as one of the most significant, as well as best produced, early books on the history of golf, Clark's work is a compilation of the earliest literature on the game. In assembling the book, Clark, a well-known Edinburgh printer, collected early press reports, biographical sketches, significant acts of Parliament, municipal records, diaries, and extracts from the minutes of the earliest golf clubs. The book also contains obituary of Allan Robertson.’
  Provenance: From the library of John Hamilton Buchanan (1861-1919), with his engraved armourial bookplate (’Clarior Hinc Honos Through Audaces Juvo’) designed by A. L. Leslie. Previously from the library of Scottish lawyer John Kermack (1847-99), ‘Writer to the Signet’, with his engraved armourial bookplate (’Sine Timore’).

References: Murdoch, ‘
The Library of Golf’, 128. Donovan & Murdoch, ‘The Game of Golf and The Printed Word’, 900. Donovan & Jerris, ‘Game of Golf and the Printed Word 1566-2005’, C12760.

Quarto (book size 25x19.5cm), pp. [6] xxi [1] 284 [2]. In publisher’s green cloth, spine lettered in gilt and ruled in gilt and black, upper board with triple gilt filet enclosing single black border, decorative lettering and vignette in gilt and black, rear panel border in blind, bevelled edges, top edge gilt others untrimmed, brown coated endpapers.
  Condition: Near fine, light rubbing to spine ends and corners, small knock to front edge, front inner hinge starting, toning along lower edges of pages.   Ref: 110299   Price: HK$ 18,000