CRUIKSHANK, George, illustrator; MERLE, William Henry

Odds and Ends. In Prose and Verse

London: Printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1831. Item #05554

A collection of poems and short stories, full of humor
Thirteen illustrations by George Cruikshank

CRUIKSHANK, George, illustrator. MERLE, William Henry. Odds and Ends. In Prose and Verse. By William Henry Merle, Esq. Illustrated by George Cruikshank from designs by the author. London: Printed for Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, and Green, 1831.

First edition. Small octavo (7 5/8 x 4 3/4 inches; 194 x 121 mm.). [viii], [1-3], 4-6, 9-146, [2] pp. Twelve woodcut and one etched illustration including seven full-page. Bound without the half-title and 12 pages of advertisements.

Publisher's dark green pebbled cloth, spine with printed paper label. A very good copy from the celebrated library of Estelle Doheny with her oval bookplate on front paste-down.

In one of the vignettes, we see a cat, looking melancholy, refusing the dish offered to her by her mistress; around her neck hangs a medallion with the portrait of a pig and, in front of her, an open book reads: Bacon's works... The image illustrates a poem recounting The Loves of a Pig and a Cat.

William Henry Merle (1791-1878) alias Bird. Author, Journalist and amateur draughtsman, he supplied sketches for prints to George Cruikshank. He signed his drawings with the pseudonym "A Bird"

Price: $250.00