PYNE, W[illiam] H[enry]

History of the Royal Residences, The

London: Printed for A. Dry, 1819. Item #06350

Pyne’s Royal Residences
In a Fine Contemporary Straight-Grain Morocco Binding

PYNE, W[illiam] H[enry]. The History of the Royal Residences of Windsor Castle, St. James's Palace, Carlton House, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court, Buckingham House, and Frogmore. Illustrated by one hundred highly finished and coloured engravings, fac-similes of original drawings by the most eminent artists. In three volumes. Vol. I. [II. III.] London: Printed for A. Dry…, 1819.

First Edition, later issue with plates watermarked 1828 & 1829.

Seven parts in three large quarto volumes (13 1/4 x 10 3/4 inches; 336 x 273 mm.).

[4], ii, [2], 188, [2], 21, [1, blank]; [6], 88, [2], 28, [2], 88; [6], 80, 92, 13, [1, blank] pp.
Volume III bound without the sub-title for Carlton House (after p.80) and the final two pages of the list of plates (pp. 15/16).

One hundred superb hand-colored aquatint plates, heightened with gum arabic, including fifty-nine plates after C. Wild, twenty-five after J. Stephanoff, nine after R. Cattermole, six after W. Westall, and one after G. Samuel, of which thirty-six are engraved by T. Sutherland, twenty-three by W.J. Bennett, twenty-eight by R. Reeve, eleven by D. Havell, and two by J. Bailey. Uncolored engraved tail-piece in Volume I. Text watermarked 1812, plates watermarked J.Whatman/Turkey Mill, 1828. There is some light offsetting from the plates to the text. Although the watermarks are later the impressions and the hand coloring are quite exceptional and indistinguishable from the many copies with the earlier watermarks that we have handled over the years.

Magnificent contemporary (ca. 1830) maroon straight-grain morocco possibly by R. Storr (active early-mid-19th., "of Grantham"). Covers elaborately gilt-paneled in a wide roll-tool border of alternating hearts and fleurons, enclosing a central block of Gothic architectural design featuring arched tracery and a rose window motif. Spines with five shallow and wide raised bands, decoratively tooled and lettered in gilt in compartments, gilt corner-board edges, gilt decorated turn-ins, brown paper endpapers. A superb copy of this wonderful book, with strikingly colorful plates. All three volumes with the rectangular Massey Family armorial bookplate on front paste-down and also the circular library shelf reference with "11245/3".

One of Ackermann’s most important collaborators, William Henry Pyne (1769-1843) “became connected with Ackermann about 1803, and came by degrees to occupy himself more with writing than painting, providing the text or part of it for many of Ackermann’s publications. It is not perhaps surprising that, being himself designer, painter, engraver and author, he should become enamoured of book production. His great effort in this direction was the large and costly work entitled The History of the Royal Residences…undoubtedly a very sumptuous book for which author, artist, engraver and publisher alike did their best” (Prideaux, pp. 142-143).

Pyne wrote the text and called upon some of the most prominent artists of his day to produce this invaluable record of palatial residences such as Carlton House, demolished in 1827, and the luxurious rooms within Windsor Castle, Kensington Palace and other royal homes, many of which were later redesigned. Fifty-nine of the 100 illustrations, displaying an “extraordinary richness of color,” were contributed by accomplished water colorist Charles Wild (Ray 42).

Abbey, Scenery, 396. Tooley 389.

Price: $8,500.00