Description

[003849] [Lake District Views]. Sixteen Views of the Lakes in Cumberland and Westmorland. ill. Smith, J. And Emes, J.; Alken, S. [Engraver]. London: W. Clarke, 1807. First Thus. 4to. Card Covers. Good. Sixteen aquatints in the original card covers, with the original label to upper cover

Worn to extremities, spine has had a brown paper tape added at some point in the past, this is now largely absent, corners slightly curled, small amounts of loss to foot of spine, label with a previous owner’s name in ink. Internally some light browning, the last three aquatints have some browning to top edge just touching plate mark, but not the image, generally quite bright and clean. The final aquatint lacks the tissue guard. Book label of Charles J. Bewlay of Carleton Hall to front pastedown, with a shelf mark in ink to upper corner

The views were by J.[ohn] ‘Warwick’ Smith (1749-1831) and J.[ohn] Emes (d. c.1809), and engraved by S.[amuel] Alken (1756-1815), the father of Henry Alken (for Alken see Alexander, A Biographical Dictionary of British and Irish Engravers 1714-1820, pages 48-9).

Originally published in 1795 (see Abbey Scenery 184), these are on paper with a ‘Ruse & Turners 1807’ watermark. Bicknell notes that these are the plates “advertised in the fifth edition (1793) and subsequent editions of [Thomas] West’s ‘Guide’ [to the Lakes] as ‘of a proper size to bind with the Guide’, and are frequently found bound in copies of the ‘Guide'” (Bicknell, page 59)

Abbey Scenery 186; Bicknell 31; Upcott XXI