ALKEN, Henry

Tutor's Assistant

London: Thos. Mc.Lean, 1823. Item #02537

The Wilmerding Copy
Scarce English Grammar Tutorial
Satirically Illustrated With Examples from Life
for E-Z Learning

ALKEN, Henry. Tutors Assistant, containing a Variety of Amusing Scenes. London: Thos. McLean, 1823.

First edition. Oblong folio (10 1/4 x 14 in; 260 x 354 mm). Six hand-colored soft-ground etchings all with multiple images. Plates watermarked 1823. Image size: 8 3/8 x 10 5/8 in; 211 x 270 mm.

Publisher's original printed wrappers with loose plates laid-in as issued. Wrapper joints beginning to split but intact. Neat 19th century ownership label to upper wrapper at top margin. With the bookplate of Lucius Wilmerding. An excellent copy, housed in a gilt-lettered brown cloth portfolio.

Scarce; only four copies have come to auction within the last thirty-six years, only one of which was in the original wrappers, as here. OCLC/KVK record only five copies in library holdings worldwide.

The Plates:

1. A Dipthong is the meeting of Two Vowels U and I perhaps &c.
2. Letters are divided into Vowels and Consonants &c.
3. The feminine gender Signifies Animals of the female kind &c.
4. The Glittering Prospect charms my eyes &c.
5. A Verb Neuter expresses neither action nor passion &c.
6. Imperative Mood, or do you die &c.

Lucius Wilmerding (1880-1949), born in NYC, graduated Harvard in 1901 and then began an extremely successful career as a stock broker on Wall Street. In 1930 he became a trustee of the New York Public Library. He was Vice-President of the American Library in Paris, a trustee and one-time president of the Grolier Club, a member of the Club of Odd Volumes and the American Antiquarian society. "Mr. Wilmerding early became a collector, and in later years specialized in English and French literature, colored plate books, and historical bindings" (Obituary, American Antiquarian Society, October 1949).

Tooley 59.

Price: $2,500.00