ALKEN, Henry Thomas (1785-1851) - photo 1
ALKEN, Henry Thomas (1785-1851) - photo 2
ALKEN, Henry Thomas (1785-1851) - photo 3
ALKEN, Henry Thomas (1785-1851) - photo 4

ALKEN, Henry Thomas (1785-1851)

Lot 53
13.07.2023 10:00UTC +00:00
Classic
Sold
£ 6 930
AuctioneerCHRISTIE'S
Event locationUnited Kingdom, London
Buyer Premiumsee on Website%
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ID 993080
Lot 53 | ALKEN, Henry Thomas (1785-1851)
Estimate value
£ 7 000 – 10 000
ALKEN, Henry Thomas (1785-1851)

‘The Night Riders of Nacton’ [‘The First Steeple Chase on Record’]. London: R. Ackermann, 1 March 1839.

A fine set of the first edition, first issue, of this famous Alken series. Recording a nocturnal romp by cavalry officers stationed at Ipswich in 1803, it became 'the single most popular set of sporting prints' (ODNB). The plates have the running title: ‘The First Steeple Chase on Record’. This is the copy that Percy Hawley of the Rosenbach Company recommended to Willard S. Martin, affirming it was ‘purchased by Dr. Rosenbach from the Librarian to His Majesty King George during a visit which the Doctor paid to Windsor on one of his trips to Europe a year or two ago. It is a very fine set and includes the leaf of text which is very rare.’ It is actually one of two sporting books which were being offered to Martin at the same time. Hawley’s second letter describes both as correctly watermarked and as ‘the most brilliant copies of these prints I have ever seen’. The set has three J. Whatman 1838 watermarks. Spitz notes the following issue points: the correct number of chimneys in plate 1; the intact shadow of the broken gate, and the correct number of trees in plate 3. Bobins IV, 1385; Mellon/Snelgrove 70: ‘the plates, aquatinted by John Harris, are of the highest quality’; Siltzer p.63.



Oblong folio (410 x 566mm). Letterpress leaf with drop-head title and text by Sidney Cowper. 4 contemporary hand-coloured aquatint plates by J. Harris after H. Alken tipped into an album, interleaved (spotting to plate versos, just a few spots showing through). Mid 20th-century black half morocco and grey buckram, front cover with black morocco title label lettered in gilt, smooth gilt-lettered spine, matching slipcase. Provenance: Willard S. Martin (two loosely inserted typed letters to Martin from Percy Hawley of the Rosenbach Company, date 3 and 7 June 1929, recommending the purchase of this 'superlative copy') – Joel Spitz (1888-1963; bookplate and stamp to final blank interleaf at end; sold in these rooms 27 May 2015, lot 150).









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Address of auction CHRISTIE'S
8 King Street, St. James's
SW1Y 6QT London
United Kingdom
Preview
13.07.2023
Phone +44 (0)20 7839 9060
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