ALKEN, Henry. The National Sports of Great Britain, with Descriptions in English and French . London: Thomas McLean, 1821. 2 o, letterpress text in English and French, hand-colored composite frontispiece and 50 hand-colored plates by Henry Alken Contemporary full straight-grained morocco, upper and lower covers with extra wide gilt fillet outer border, inner border stamped in blind, another wide gilt fillet border with elaborate gilt corner fleurons, inner border stamped in blind, enclosing a fine gilt sporting cartouche, extra gilt spine in seven compartments, lettered in one, with gilt stags in three, and gilt tooling in three, wide gilt raised bands (skillfully rebacked and restored). FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, WITH COLORS VERY FRESH AND BRIGHT (this copy has both the pictorial titles, dated 1820 and 1821). Alken's most important work, and one of the great 19th century color-plate books. "Numerous copies have been broken up, and the plates framed separately, and the tendency is for the work to become scarcer and scarcer. It must always form the centerpiece of any Alken collection." Tooley 41. Schwerdt I, page 19. Podeschi 111.
ALKEN, Henry. The National Sports of Great Britain, with Descriptions in English and French . London: Thomas McLean, 1821. 2 o, letterpress text in English and French, hand-colored composite frontispiece and 50 hand-colored plates by Henry Alken Contemporary full straight-grained morocco, upper and lower covers with extra wide gilt fillet outer border, inner border stamped in blind, another wide gilt fillet border with elaborate gilt corner fleurons, inner border stamped in blind, enclosing a fine gilt sporting cartouche, extra gilt spine in seven compartments, lettered in one, with gilt stags in three, and gilt tooling in three, wide gilt raised bands (skillfully rebacked and restored). FIRST EDITION, FIRST ISSUE, WITH COLORS VERY FRESH AND BRIGHT (this copy has both the pictorial titles, dated 1820 and 1821). Alken's most important work, and one of the great 19th century color-plate books. "Numerous copies have been broken up, and the plates framed separately, and the tendency is for the work to become scarcer and scarcer. It must always form the centerpiece of any Alken collection." Tooley 41. Schwerdt I, page 19. Podeschi 111.
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg?height=400 "Source: Christie's")
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