Beschreibung:

Italian Scenery; representing the Manners, Customs, and Amusements of the different States of Italy.
London: J.C. Barnard for Edward Orme and Longman, Hurst, Rees & Orme, 1806 [but later, plates watermarked 1814-1817, text watermarked 1801-1803]. Folio (350 x 254 mm). Text in French and English. 32 hand-coloured line and stipple engravings by James Godby after P. Van LerberghiContemporary red straight-grained morocco gilt, covers with wide decorative border in gilt and blind with wide outer greek-key roll in blind, enclosing double fillets and a decorative roll of stylized foliage in gilt, and a smaller inner roll of scrolling vines in blind, spine gilt in six compartments with false raised bands, lettered in the second, the others with elaborate overall repeat pattern built up from various small tools, gilt turn-ins, gilt edges. Condition : without the engraved leaf of sheet music as often, some spotting to about three plates and accompanying text leaves. first edition, later issue, of this charming work on italian life at the turn of the 19th century. The plates include scenes from Naples in the far south, via Rome and its environs, to Savoy in the far north and include a mixture of costume plates, scenes of everyday life, plates depicting well-known landmarks and plates of games played in the various regions. The accompanying text both describes the scenes depicted and also gives some fascinating background information about the various areas described. From the watermark in one of the endpapers it would appear that the present copy was not bound before 1819 - a date supported by the 1817 watermark on the plates. Abbey Travel I, 164; Colas 2950; Lipperheide Ja 11; Tooley 354