This is a beautiful copy of the definitive book at the time. The red cloth boards with gilt titling , and an embossed decorative front board, has little evidence of shelf wear except very mild fading at the creased edges of the spine. There are 45 plates in colour and black and white - all present. There is a little foxing, mainly the end pages and a very little sporadically throughout the book but none of the actual plates appear damaged. There are no loose pages. It is a very large ( 22.5 x 27.8cm) and heavy (2.86kg) book.