This is a decorative antique collection of 5 books from the rare limited and individually numbered set of the Alumni Edition of The Harvard Classics.  The set is hand-cut and printed on rag paper, with gilt page tops.  Each volume has a tissue-protect frontispiece and ornate title page.

The set, Volume 26 -Volume 30,  is 9.75' across, 8.75" tall, and is 6" front to back.

26) Continental Drama 
27) English Essays: Sidney to Macaulay
28) Essays. English and American 
29) Voyage of the Beagle: Darwin 
30) Faraday, Helmholtz, Kelvin, Newcomb, Geikie 

Published by P. F. Collier between 1909-1914, this rare edition makes a statement!

There are more Harvard Classics collections here:  https://decadesofvintage.com/collections/harvard-classics

  The photo prop is not included.

In 1909, the President of Harvard University, Dr. Eliot, made claims that one could get a quality education by reading from a 5-foot shelf of classics for 15 minutes a day. Collier & Son challenged Dr. Eliot to create such a collection.