IMAGINARY PORTRAITS by Walter Pater. (MacMillan & Co., London, 1909, hardcover, no dustjacket, 153 pages.) A volume from the 1905-09 reprint of the 1901 complete set of all Pater’s works. When it’s that old, there is naturally some foxing. The binding is fair to indifferent. Although the book falls open at the intervals between stitched octavos, all of the pages remain strong and firmly connected; no pages are loose. The front cover has a crease from top to bottom that does not impact on its sturdiness. A previous owner penned a flyleaf note: “purchased – September 28 / 56”. An even earlier owner inked “1910” on the inside cover and attached his nameplate; amusingly, his coat of arms includes the family motto: “Free For A Blast” which makes this book a good gift for the boozehound in your family! There is also a handwritten dedication on the next page, lots of pencil markings throughout, and some kind of three-line pencilled code on the back flyleaf. The paper is thick and stiff, true Victorian-era paper. The book consists of four “imagined” biographies of forgotten painters; interesting as an early precursor to today’s “fictionalized biographies”. Due to the condition of this book, my price is set very low considering how vintage this copy is. I am also selling two other volumes from the same set; contact me for a discount price to purchase all three.