E.C. RARE BOOKS

Booksellers of Antiquarian Books & Ephemera

SPECIALIZING IN CHILDRENS ILLUSTRATED BOOKS, FINE BINDINGS, FORE - EDGE PAINTINGS, SETS, CLASSIC LITERATURE, VOYAGES & TRAVELS.

ALKEN, Henry (1785–1851), illustrator.Egan, Pierce (1772–1849), imitation of Real Life in Ireland; or, The Day and Night Scenes… London: printed by B. Bensley for Jones and Co., 1821. 8vo. Hand–colored aquatint frontispiece and 18 plates by Alken, Heath and Williams.

London: Thomas McLean, 1824. Henry Alken. First Edition.

(Frontispiece and title–page a little but dust soiled, neat repair to close tear of upper margin on title, occasional marginal browning to plates, all else fine). Full burgundy morocco with double gilt fillet border, 6 compartments with five raised bands gilt, gilt scroll work and titling in compartments, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt dentelles, stamp–signed by Riviere; chemise; morocco–backed slipcase. Provenance: Vincent Lloyd Russell (bookplate).

Very good, first edition, of what Tooley calls as being “rarer than [Egan’s] Life in London”. Abbey, Life 282; Tooley 201.

Price (USD) $920.00

SPORTING SCRAP BOOK

Alken. Henry

Alken, Henry (1785-1851) Sporting Scrap Book. London. Thomas McLean. 1824. First Edition. Containing Fifty Plates Designed and Engraved by Himself. Signed binding by Riviere. 7 x 10 1/4 in. No page numbers. Full red crushed morocco with gilt ruled borders and front and back covers. Decorated spine with five raised bands, gilt floral decoration and lettering in segments. Gilt inner dentelle. Endpapers are deep lapis with red and gilt Riviere oval bookplate P.F. Joseph Widener (one of the founders of the National Gallery and an extensive collector of sporting books). Above this is the engraved bookplate of Clarence S. Bement, with armorial devices. The fifty hand-coloured, full-page plates are all present and a 1920's auction listing has been tipped into the rear of the front free endpaper. There is also a typed index care placed inside front cover, with binding and description of the book, stating that it was "Collection: Clarence S. Bement. Purchased by him in 1900 out of

Robson's catalogue, no 6. bought from Rosenbach, Feb. 10. 1906. Ricci, Ms. Catalogue 1923, pp. 41-43". Near fine condition with no visible flaws whatsoever. The text is free of any blemishes and the prints are beautiful, their