ALKEN, Henry Thomas (1785-1851)

Lot 91
13.07.2023 10:00UTC +00:00
Classic
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£ 5 292
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
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ID 992998
Lot 91 | ALKEN, Henry Thomas (1785-1851)
Estimate value
£ 4 000 – 6 000
ALKEN, Henry Thomas (1785-1851)

A Collection of Interesting Subjects of Marine Views, Military Parade, Hunting, Coursing and Racing &c. &c. London: Thomas M'Lean [n.d. but c. 1820].

‘The rarest Alken item’, (Abbey) even rarer as a complete suite and with the title page. There is only one other known complete version held at Yale university (most likely that noted by Abbey as being sold in 1907). According to the sale catalogue of 1907 ‘So few copies were issued that it was not considered worthwhile by the publishers to have the title printed’ (Book Auction Records, December 1907). Indeed, in the present copy there is no letterpress leaf, instead what is offered is the exceedingly rare manuscript title page, giving the original full title. Although most of the plates show generic military scenes, there are some interesting plates displaying the Ottoman troops: 'Circassian Prisoners' (plate 26) and 'A Tartar Camp' (plate 27). More historical context is provided by plate 35 showing 'American Bushmen' and pl. 28 shows the 'Death of Ponitawski' (sic, i.e. the death of Jozef Poniatowski at Leipzig in 1813). Abbey Life 349.



Quarto (261 x 179mm). Manuscript title within frame, this later cut to edges of frame, 56 etched plates coloured by contemporary hand, all window-mounted with elaborately engraved border, titles and captions in manuscript, final 15 plates uncaptioned (offsetting, not affecting image, minor marginal finger-soiling). Slightly later brown straight-grained morocco, covers bordered with ornate foliate corner pieces joined by 4 thin filets and one double fillet, all stamped in gilt, later spine elaborately decorated and lettered in gilt, gilt turn-ins and edges (extremities lightly rubbed, spine re-backed, preserving original back strip). Provenance: James L. Claghorn (1817-1884, art collector, patron, an officer of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and the Philadelphia School of Design for Women; presentation label and visiting card mounted on to front free endpaper, dated 30 April 1883, to:) — George G. Meade Post, no.1, Department of Pennsylvania, Grand Army of the Republic (engraved library label on front pastedown and stamp on title).





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13.07.2023
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