WALTON, Izaak (ca. 1593-1683). -- COTTON, Charles (1630-1687). The Complete Angler or the Contemplative Man’s Recreation. Edited by Sir Harris Nicolas. London: William Pickering, 1836.
2 volumes, small 4to (279 x 191 mm). (Marginal browning or spotting throughout, some offsetting from plates to text). Half-titles, titles printed in red and black, numerous engraved head-pieces, plates and in text illustrations throughout on india paper, EXTRA ILLUSTRATED with numerous proofs before letters. ORIGINAL CLOTH-BACKED PUBLISHER’S DRAB BOARDS, gilt-lettered spines (edgewear to boards, hinges slightly cracked); cloth jackets and individual slipcases.
FIRST NICOLAS EDITION, LARGE PAPER ISSUE of “one of the best, possibly the very best of...[the 146 editions of The Compleat Angler published between 1836 and 1901] with engravings after Stothard, Inskipp and others” (Percy Muir, Victorian Illustrated Books, 1971, p. 21). Satchell also hails it as being “one of the handsomest publications of modern times, an ornament to the Angler’s Library, unique of its kind, and perhaps destined to remain so”. RARE IN THE ORIGINAL PUBLISHER’S BOARDS. Coigney 44; Satchell, p. 14.