Austen (Jane) Pride and Prejudice, with a Preface by George Saintsbury, frontispiece and illustrations by Hugh Thomson, with the frontispiece hand-coloured by the artist, light marginal spotting at beginning and end, Alban Dobson's copy with his bookplate and a signed note by him and A.L.s. to him from the artist's son loosely inserted, also a Christmas card inscribed "From Mr & Mrs Hugh Thomson", original dark green cloth, white glazed paper label on spine, uncut, label slightly rubbed and chipped at head, spotting to fore-edge, [Gilson E78], 8vo, George Allen, 1894.

⁂ Alban Dobson (1885-1962) was the son of the poet, essayist and literary critic Austin Dobson (1840-1921). Austin Dobson wrote introductions to the 1897 Macmillan editions of Mansfield Park and Northanger Abbey & Persuasion which were both illustrated by Hugh Thomson. They knew each other well and Thomson also illustrated several of Dobson's books. The letter from John Thomson, Hugh's son, to Alban Dobson, dated 25th December 1952, concerns the joint disposal of the correspondence between their fathers and the hand-coloured frontispiece in this copy. He writes, "...this must have been done specially as the published edition is in black & white. My father did, I know, do this sort of thing occasionally for friends either of his own volition or at their request. I have three different editions of 'Pride & Prejudice' and none of them is tinted". Dobson's own note states, "From the enclosed letter from John Thomson, it is evident that this is a unique copy, in which Hugh Thomson has specially coloured the frontispiece. Alban Dobson 5.1.53".