Humour

London: The Punch Office, 1847-1848. Bradbury and Evans. 3 volumes, 9 inches tall. A wonderful set of the first editions of these great comic works. Bound by Bradstreet in the finest full crushed morocco with raised bands and gilt dentelles. From the Duke of Gloucester's library at Kensington Palace, each volume with his bookplate. Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester was the third son of King George V, brother of King George VI and King Edward VIII. Original wrappers bound in. With a total of 30 hand coloured engravings and over 300 woodcuts by John Leech.

London: G. Virtue, 1830. Full calf, 9.5 inches tall. A pristine copy in glorious full calf by Root with gilt raised bands, triple labels and wonderful gilt centre tools indicative of our heroes dissolute adventures in London, playing cards, Champagne bottles and dancers. The boards are framed within gilt corner tools and triple fillets. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Embellished with all 36 hand coloured aquatints from designs by Robert Cruikshank.

London: T. Tegg, 1815. Full morocco, 10 inches tall. A fabulous later tall full crushed morocco by the great firm of Bedford from the library of a Scottish Gentleman. With gilt raised bands, superb gilt tooling to the panels of the highest quality, wide gilt denteles and gilt top edge. With 30 hand-coloured aquatints, by George Cruikshank, including the title page, as called for. There is a small gouge in one of the panels, otherwise a sparking, pristine and exceptionally tall copy of this great and highly disrespectful comic work by 'Doctor Syntax'.

London: Thomas Boys, 1820. Full morocco, 10 inches tall. A wonderful tall late Victorian binding by the great firm of Bedford in pristine condition, inside and out. With gilt raised bands and luxurious floral gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt triple fillets frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and top edge. With an engraved title page and 12 hilarious full page hand coloured plates by Isaac Robert Cruikshank. From the library of a Scottish Gentleman. As fine a copy as one could possibly find of the first edition of this hilarious work advising much scrimping and saving.

London: Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, 1822. Full morocco,10 inches tall. A superlative later full morocco binding by the great firm of Bedford, from the library of a Scottish Gentleman, in pristine condition. An exceptionally tall copy with gilt raised bands, ornate floral gilt tooling to the panels, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, wide gilt dentelles and top edges gilt. With 36 hand coloured aquatints by I.R. and George Cruikshank and 3 folding pages of songs. The original paper spine and cover, and advertisements, bound in. The images illustrate the hilarious and bawdy adventures of Jerry and his companions in Regency London. A beautiful volume.

London: R. Ackermann, 1815: 1815. Full morocco, 10 inches tall. A tall and sumptuous later full crushed morocco binding by the great firm of Bedford. With gilt raised bands and exceptional gilt tooling to the panels. Gilt dentelles and top edge. Very slight fading to the spine but still a wonderful copy from the library of a Scottish Gentleman. Hand-colored aquatint frontispiece, engraved title page and a further 16 hand-colored aquatint plates, as listed. First edition in book form. As good a copy of this highly entertaining work as one could hope to find.

London: Ackermann, 1815. Full morocco, 9 1/2 inches tall. A magnificent copy in full navy blue morocco for Sawyer with gilt raised bands, very fine gilt tooled panels and top edge gilt. Triple gilt fillet framing the boards. With 2 maps, 1 folding and 17 superb hand coloured aquatints by Thomas Rowlandson.

London: G. Virtue, 1830. Full morocco, 10 inches tall. An exceptionally tall copy in a beautiful later full straight grain morocco binding by Sotheran of Piccadilly. With gilt raised bands, a superb boxing centre tool within an ornate cartouche in the panels and the boards, gilt dentelles and top edges, the remaining edges untrimmed. With 2 armorial bookplates. Embellished with all 36 hilarious hand-coloured aquatints from designs by Robert Cruikshank. A pristine example of this great comic work, in which our heroes continue with their debauched adventures around London.

London: Sherwood, Neely, and Jones, 1821. Full morocco, 9.5 inches tall. A glorious later full morocco binding by Riviere in pristine condition. With gilt raised bands, ornate floral gilt tooling to the panels, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, wide gilt dentelles and all edges gilt. With 36 hand coloured aquatints by I.R. and George Cruikshank and 3 folding pages of songs. Some offsetting from the plates. The images illustrate the hilarious and bawdy adventures of Jerry and his companions in London. A superb volume.

New York: Duprat & Co. 1893, 1894 & 1895. The first 3 volumes of this very rare limited edition, 7" tall. Beautifully bound by Canape in half red morocco with gilt raised bands, ornate tooling to the panels around a calf onlay. Gilt top edges. With the bookplates of Pierre Munier and I. Fernandez. With an ink inscription from the publisher on the first blank. Number 416 of 600 copies on handmade paper. The first volume has delightful coloured comic illustrations of various aspects of the book trade facing each month. The second and third volumes have fine monochrome plates. Copies of these volumes are exceedingly scarce and, especially in pristine condition and in fine bindings.

London: Chatto and Windus, 1882. 2 volume set, 7 1/2 inches tall. A wonderful full crushed morocco binding by Riviere with gilt raised bands, very fine gilt tooling to the panels and with triple gilt fillets framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and top edges. With the armorial bookplates of W.H. Lever of Thornton Manor, Sir W. Hesketh Lever, Bart. and Baron, Lord Leverhulme of Bolton-Le Moors, all one and the same and the founder of 'Port Sunlight'. This beautiful set has an extra 89 plates, 34 hand-coloured, bound in, some particularly interesting ones, including Mr. Kean as Richard and as Count Bertram and 2 box tickets for His Majesty's Theatre. A unique set in pristine condition.

London, The Punch Office, 1845. Full morocco, 10 inches tall. A pristine example of this classic comic work bound in sumptuous full morocco by the great firm of Bedford, from the library of a Scottish Gentleman. An exceptionally tall copy with gilt raised bands, ornate floral gilt tooling to the panels, triple gilt fillet framing the boards, wide gilt dentelles and top edge gilt. Embellished with 12 full page steel engravings and 117 superb engraved vignettes. With over 50 leaves of highly entertaining advertisements. As fine a copy as one could hope to find.

London: C. Baldwyn, 1823. 2 volumes bound in 1, 9 1/4 inches tall. A wonderful full morocco binding by the great firm of Bedford from the library of a Scottish Gentleman. Gilt raised bands, exceptionally fine gilt tooling to the panels and triple gilt fillets framing the boards. Gilt dentelles and top edge. A curious comic work in which Cruikshank " selects or invents those incidents which might be interesting or amusing in themselves, while they afford scope for the peculiar talents of the artist who adorns them with his designs". Both volumes contains 10 themes, each illustrated with a full page wood engraving. There are further engraved vignettes on India paper throughout. With 6 leaves of advertisements bound in. An absolutely pristine copy of the first edition.

London: John Fairburn, 1822. Full calf, 9 1/2 inches tall. A sparkling later full calf binding by Tout with gilt raised bands, superb extra gilt tooling to the panels and triple labels. Delicate gilt tooling frames the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. With the armorial bookplate of George Seton Veitch. Original wrapper bound in. Embellished with 21 hand comic hand-coloured aquatints by George Cruikshank and a further 22 wood engravings. This unique copy also contains a tipped in signature of George Cruikshank, a tipped in note by Robert Cruikshank and a tipped in letter of George Bell. Slightly rubbed but still a super copy of the rollicking adventures of a band of young English Gentlemen enjoying life to the full in Paris.

London: R. Ackerman, 1817. Full calf, 10 inches tall. A superb full calf by Riviere with gilt raised bands, label and dense floral gilt tooling to the panels. A triple gilt fillet and corner tools frame the boards. Gilt dentelles and all edges. Armorial Bookplate of Marcus Brown-Westhead of Lea Castle. Decorated with hand coloured aquatint frontispiece, vignette on the title page and a further 24 full page plates throughout, all by Thomas Rowlandson.

London: G. Virtue, 1830. Full morocco, 9 1/2 inches tall. A pristine copy in glorious full morocco by Riviere with gilt raised bands and wonderful gilt centre tools indicative of our heroes dissolute adventures in London, playing cards, Champagne bottles and dancers. The boards are framed within gilt corner tools and triple fillets. Gilt dentelles and top edge. Embellished with all 36 hand coloured aquatints from designs by Robert Cruikshank. This is a magnificent copy of this hilarious work from the Library of the Late Christopher Foyle of Beeleigh Abbey.

London: John Fairburn, 1822. Full morocco, 9 inches tall. A fabulous full morocco by Wood with gilt raised bands, superb gilt tooling to the panels and boards representing the gambling and fighting to be found in the text. Fine gilt dentelles and top edge. The armorial bookplate of Charles Tuller Garland and a pictorial bookplate. Embellished with 21 hand comic coloured aquatints by George Cruikshank. Some finger marks but still a super copy of the rollicking adventures of a band of young gentlemen enjoying life in Paris.

London: Tilt and Bogue, 1842. Full morocco, 9 1/2 inches tall. In pristine condition in a wonderful binding by the great firm of Bedford from the library of a Scottish Gentleman. With gilt raised bands and very fine gilt floral tooling to the panels. Triple gilt fillets frame the boards, gilt dentelles and top edge. The first edition of this classic comic work embellished with 22 full page engravings and a further 78 woodcut vignettes by George Cruikshank. Bound with 48 leaves of advertisements and the original covers of the original parts. As fine a copy of this splendid work as one could hope to find.