Description

[004135] Baker, George. The History and Antiquities of the County of Northampton. London: John Bowyer Nichols and Son and John Rodwell, 1822. First Edition. Folio. Hardback. Good+. Two volumes complete (ie. all published) – Volume One, pub. 1822-1830, [5], 6-538, [3], 540-780pp; Volume Two, pub. 1836-1841, [7], 2-260, [5], 262-342pp, [2]

Contemporary half morocco and cloth over boards, raised bands, spines in six panels, title lettered directly to second panel, author and volume number to third

Rubbed to extremities, corners bumped and worn. Internally some light browning, some sporadic spotting to a few signatures of first volume, one or two instances of off setting from plates, ffep creased

First volume with thirty-two engraved plates, including the portrait frontispiece; the second volume with eight plates, including a coloured frontispiece of tradesman’s tokens, and with the rare plate of Pytchley House, which seemingly only had sixteen subscribers

First volume has the printed prospectus for the work bound in, and the Pytchley House plate has the small subscribers slip tipped in before

The prospectus foresaw the work being published in eight parts, forming four folio volumes, but this was all that was published. Lowndes I:100, calling it “one of the most valuable topographical works ever published, displaying great industry and research. Unfortunately it is left incomplete”