Historical Description of the Altar-Piece Painted in the Reign of King James the Third of Scotland belonging to Her Majesty in the Palace of Holyrood [ James III ]

Edinburgh: Privately Printed, 1857. First edition. 3/4 Leather hardcover. Very good. Small, thin octavo. 3 quarter brown leather over marbeled paper. Glided top edge. Gilt title with gilt boundary on spine, with ornaments at head and tail. Some wear to joints and corners, but still bound strongly. Bookplate of solicitor James Whitefoord Mackenzie (1794 -1884) on pastedown. "Privately printed" written in ink in a 19th century hand on flyleaf. (4) 23 p.(35 blank pages) with footnotes and illustrations. Illustrations include the heraldic device of James III on the title page, several smaller illustrations printed with the text, and two fold-out plates of 2 sides each illustrating the altar by C.A. Doyle, most likely Charles Altamont Doyle, an Edinburgh illustrator and father of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Includes a 3 page extract from the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, discussing some of the Queen’s paintings at Holyrood. Interestingly, additional copies of the first and last sides of the altar are tipped in at the front as individual pages, depicting James III and his Queen. In addition, an architectural illustration by one "J. Gideon" titled "The Royal Palace Of Holy Rood House" with 'SxS fecit" on the right corner, is tipped in before the additional images. None of the later illustrations are noted in any cataloging of this work I have found, so I consider this a unique copy. Laing was a Scottish antiquary and long term secretary of the Bannatyne Club, a publication society for rare Scottish works founded by Sir Walter Scott. Perhaps the Club had a hand in this publication as well, thought there is no mention if it. Printed by W. H. Lizars of early Audubon association fame. A very uncommon work on an item of regal antiquarian significance with less than 20 copies in libraries.