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[COLOR-PLATE BOOKS]. [COSTUME]. MEYRICK, Samuel R. (1783-1848) and SMITH, Charles Hamilton (1776-1859). The Costume of the Original Inhabitants of the British Islands. From the Earliest Periods to the Sixth Century to Which is Added that of the Gothic Nations on the Western Coasts of the Baltic, the Ancestors of the Anglo-Saxons and Anglo-Danes. London: Printed by William Bulmer & Co., Shakespeare Press…, 1815. Folio. Illustrated with 23 hand-colored aquatint engraved plates (including the engraved title-page); this copy with 2 original watercolors (perhaps the originals done for the book) replacing plates 3 and 5. 59 pp. Pages and plates watermarked “Whatman 1811". Bound to style in modern quarter brown calf over marbled boards, spine tooled in gilt in compartments, red and green gilt morocco lettering labels, new endleaves (spine a bit sunned, some toning, occasional soiling and foxing in text and plates, one paper guard has a short tear). Fine. FIRST EDITION. This was one of a number of books that had been inspired by William Stukeley's work on Stonehenge, which brought Druids and ancient Britons to the forefront of the romantic imagination. The pictures of ancient Britons show a mixture of influences. In part they resemble the images of Native Americans that appeared in early travel literature, but the figures are in poses like those of the classical gods that travelers saw in Greek and Roman sculptures while on the Grand Tour. In addition, they are shown wearing the ornaments and weapons that antiquaries were discovering and publishing in the Society of Antiquarie's journal Archaeologia and elsewhere. Bronze swords and rapiers, as well as torcs, socketed axes, gold lunulae and brooches all appear in these imagined recreations of life in ancient Britain. The speculation about the clothing of the early Britons and how they used the various objects is typical of these works. Smith's fanciful images include A Briton of the Interior standing before an earthwork fort, tattooed Maaeatae and Caledonians from North Briton in front of a cromlech, and various Druid priests and bards. His speculations were based on earlier research by Meyrick. Abbey 427.