Fine Books & Manuscripts

A’BECKETT, Gilbert Abbott (1811–1856). The Comic History of England [and] The Comic History of Rome. London: Punch Office, 1846/48. 2 works in 3 volumes. 8vos. FIRST EDITIONS, FIRST ISSUES. England volumes COMPLETE WITH ORIGINAL WRAPPERS AND ADVERTISEMENTS as called for by Abbey with the exceptions: Part 5 back wrapper with “The Comic History of England” on the inside and “Rowland’s Unique Preparations” on the outside; lacking advertisement to part I. Rome volume with the front wrappers to parts 5 and 7, and the back wrapper to part 7 only. Half-titles (printed in red for England), titles printed in red and black. 19 hand-colored engraved plates by John Leech, numerous intertextual woodcut and steel engraved illustrations throughout, historiated initials. Uniformly bound FROM THE ORIGINAL 20/19 AND 10/9 PARTS in an attractive full crushed crimson levant in a Derome-style binding with ornate filigree frame of acanthus leaves and many flowers, 5 raised bands with gilt filets, compartments with elaborate foliate borders, gilt lettered in two, top edges gilt, others uncut, dentelle turn-ins, marbled endpapers, GILT SIGNED BY DE COVERLY BINDERY (spines gently darkened, joints and spine ends discreetly reinforced, occasional offsetting from plates to text, bookplates of George Browning Anderson, signatures to wrappers of England parts of D. Paterson). Abbey 434, 435. Provenance: From the private library of a local Chicago collector, part one.