Life of Napoleon Bonaparte,
Late Emperor of the French, King of Italy, Protector of the Confederation of the Rhine, Mediator of the Confederation of Switzerland, &c. &c. Embellished with Accurate Views of his Battles, &c. &c. &c. Engraved by G. Cruikshank from the Original Designs of Vernet, Denon, &c. executed, at Paris, by Duplesis Berteaux.
London: Printed and Published by John Fairburn, 1823-8 Stock Code: 128967
A notable history with 24 hand-coloured aquatints
First edition, first issue with all required points where visible. Originally issued in 64 parts, the first 48 being issued by Fairburn, "the publication was then taken over by Cumberland, who issued 16 more parts" (Tooley). Abbey remarks that the "Fairburn venture must have been unsuccessful, for sets carrying his imprints are very unusual, and examples of the three printed titles definitely rare". Credited to Ireland, the notorious Shakespearean forger, the text of this work is in fact the same as that for Count Excelman's History of Napoleon.Description
4 volumes, octavo (210 x 130 mm). Contemporary blue straight-grain half morocco, titles and fleur-de-lis to spine in gilt in compartments, raised bands tooled in gilt, marbled sides, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers.
Illustrations
With 27 folding plates, including 24 hand-coloured aquatints, with the engraved John Cumberland title pages, dated 1823 to vols. I and II, with no date to vol. III, and 1828 to vol. IV, vignettes of arms of the Bonaparte family on manteaux, no printed tit
Condition
Library plate of James W. Paul Jr., a Philadelphian financier, to front pastedown of each volume, pencil inscription to rear free endpaper recto of vol. I. Bound without half-titles. Plates trimmed, occasionally removing imprint. Paper tape support to folds of four plates. Rubbing to extremities and spine joints, slight flaking to leather at spine joints, front inner hinge of vol. I starting, small closed tear to first blank of vol. I, occasional faint foxing, pale brown splash marks to pp. 470-1 of vol. IV; a very good set.
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