London: Ackerman, c. 1825. 3 volume set, 9 3/4 inches tall. A superb and extraordinary full mottled calf, c. 1830, with large gilt tooled label on a smooth back, gilt bands and an ornate 'starburst' of gilt tooling to the spine. The boards have a delicate floral roll framing the almost cat's paw smattering of gray and brown mottling. Blind dentelles and all edges gilt. Decorated with 80 splendid hand-coloured aquatints by the great humorous illustrator Thomas Rowlandson. All three volumes declare themselves to be 3rd editions but to confuse matters the first volume also states that it is the 9th edition on the engraved title page. A succession of editions came out shortly after the first and the…
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London: Ackerman, c. 1825. 3 volume set, 9 3/4 inches tall. A superb and extraordinary full mottled calf, c. 1830, with large gilt tooled label on a smooth back, gilt bands and an ornate 'starburst' of gilt tooling to the spine. The boards have a delicate floral roll framing the almost cat's paw smattering of gray and brown mottling. Blind dentelles and all edges gilt. Decorated with 80 splendid hand-coloured aquatints by the great humorous illustrator Thomas Rowlandson. All three volumes declare themselves to be 3rd editions but to confuse matters the first volume also states that it is the 9th edition on the engraved title page. A succession of editions came out shortly after the first and the plates in this set are all dated the same as the first. Having been used for so many 'strikes' the images are more flat and less clearly defined than in the 1st editions. There is some staining and browning to some plates particularly in the third volume. But still a lovely complete set in a super binding.
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