Extremely scarce to find these early titles signed

Powell, Anthony ~ The First Five Volumes Of ‘A Dance to the Music of Time’ Series: A Question of Upbringing ; A Buyer’s Market; The Acceptance World; At Lady Molly’s; Casanova’s Chinese Restaurant : All Inscribed By The Author To The Same Recipient, Elizabeth Tennant (Baroness Glenconner) : With The ‘Memorial Order of Service’ Booklet For Anthony Powell

Heinemann, London : 1951-1960

5 Vols. :  A Dance to the Music of Time series : A Question of Upbringing, 1951; A Buyer's Market, 1952; The Acceptance World, 1955; At Lady Molly's, 1957; Casanova's Chinese Restaurant, 1960. All First UK printings published by Heinemann, London. Original publisher's cloth in first issue wrappers. Each volume inscribed in the year of publication by Powell to his close friend Elizabeth Tennant, Baroness Glenconner, to the front end paper, generally 'Elizabeth with love from Tony' and dated on publication (last volume undated). Very Good+ / Near fine copies in generally Very Good / Very Good+ wrappers. The wrapper for 'A Question of Upbringing' shows some fraying with small losses to the spine ends and a couple of splits, but is well preserved by the standards of this book. 'A Buyer's Market' shows some fading to the spine of the cloth and little mottling to the boards. It has the correct first issue wrapper with wider flaps which has a number of losses and tears to the wrapper (but comes together well in the Brodart archival cover). 'The Acceptance World' has just minor losses to the head of the spine of the wrapper ; and 'At Lady Molly's' and 'Casanova's Chinese Restaurant' are both in near fine wrappers, though the latter is price-clipped. The Broom-Lynne designed wrappers are protected in removable Brodart archival covers. Elizabeth Powell married Christopher Grey Tennant , 2nd Baron Glenconner (and 3rd Baronet Tennant) in 1935 and was the mother of the author Emma Tennant. She was also the sister-in-law of the socialite Stephen Tennant. The very scarce first five titles in Powell’s ‘Dance to the Music of Time’ which is a 12-volume roman-fleuve, published between 1951 and 1975 to critical acclaim. The story is an often comic examination of movements and manners, power and passivity in English political, cultural and military life in the mid-20th century. The books were inspired by the painting of the same name by French artist Nicolas Poussin. The sequence is narrated by Nicholas Jenkins. Signed copies of the early titles in this series are extremely scarce. This is only the second time that this set of five books have appeared in commerce (Provenance: Elizabeth Tennant, Baroness Glenconner ; Emma Tennant (novelist and daughter of Elizabeth Tennant); Jonkers Rare Books ; Private Client). With the 'Memorial Order of Service' booklet for Anthony Dymoke Powell, held at Grosvenor Chapel, London on the 4th May 2000.

BINDING: Hardcover
CONDITION: Very Good+ / Near Fine
JACKET: Very Good / Near Fine