British Proverbs
London: E. & C. Mc.Lean, 1824. Item #04095
"It's Not How Long - But How Well We Live"
ALKEN, Henry. British Proverbs. London: E. & C. Mc.Lean, 1824.
First edition. Oblong quarto (10/1/4 x 13 3/4 inches; 261 x 350 mm.). Six amusing hand-colored soft-ground etchings, five with five and one with four scenes, depicting a total of twenty-nine proverbs.
Bound ca. 1900 by Rivière & Son in full tan calf, covers decoratively bordered in gilt, spine with two raised bands, decoratively tooled in compartments, black morocco spine label lettered in gilt. Gilt board-edges and wide decorative turn-ins, dark blue coated end-papers. With the Armorial bookplate of Arthur Curtiss James and also the engraved bookplate of De Guinzbourg on the front paste-down. Joints very slightly cracked at top and bottom but still absolutely sound. A near fine copy housed in a later brown cloth slipcase.
Originally issued in paper wrappers with printed title on the front cover.
Very scarce, this is only the second example that we have seen in over fifty years. OCLC located just eleven copies in institutions and libraries worldwide - nine in the US, one in the UK and one in New Zealand.
The Plates:
1. Life without a friend is death with a witness…
2. Good to begin well - better to end well…
3. He who would have a hare for breakfast must hunt overnight…
4. The horse thinks one thing and the man that rides him another…
5. They who Love most are least set by…
6. All things are soon prepar'd in a well Ordered house…
Henry Thomas ALKEN (12 October 1785 – 7 April 1851) was an English painter and engraver chiefly known as a caricaturist and illustrator of sporting subjects and coaching scenes. His most prolific period of painting and drawing occurred between 1816 and 1831.
Tooley, 21.
Price: $4,850.00