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The marvels of a fair and street performances

[BENDORP, Karel Frederik (the Elder)].
Kermis-tafereeltjes in geëtste Kunstplaatjes, op Boert- en ernstige dichttrant beschreven. Tot nut en vermaak voor kinderen van allerlei ouderdom.

With vignette of a little angel on engraved title, and 8 full-page engraved plates by K.F. Bendorp, depicting all kinds of attractions at a Dutch fair, all finely coloured by hand.

Derde druk. Dordrecht, A. Blussé & Zoon, (1810). Small 8vo. Original boards. With vignette of a little angel on engraved title, and 8 full-page engraved plates by K.F. Bendorp, depicting all kinds of attractions at a Dutch fair, all finely coloured by hand. 24 pp.

Beautiful series of copper-engraved prints, finely coloured by hand, showing the marvels of a fair and street performances, by Karel Frederik Bendorp the Elder (1736-1814), a painter of city views, engraver, and fine draughtsman and etcher. Depicted are a hurdy-gurdy man, a lady dancing in a spin, a juggler with pipes, a street singer with the song shown on a large poster, dancing dogs, a gingerbread stall, a magician, and a performance with a magic lantern.
The plates were originally published with poems by Roelof Arends (1732-1787), under the title "Vaderlandsche Kermisvreugd", by H. de Haas & Comp. at Dordrecht in 1782, and a fourth edition was published by Van Vliet & Ten Brink at Amsterdam in 1794. The present new title however was first published by our publisher without Arends' name on title and without date, probably after 1794. Arends had died, and not only the title but also the poetry accompanying the plates now were changed. The new author has remained anonymous, but comparing Arends' poems from 1782 with our poems, a world of difference shows.
Arends' poetry was rather aristorcratic and moralistic, full of criticism and warnings against street artists, while our poet is much more democratic and in favour of enjoyment of the fair and its many attractions. In his dedication "Aan de Vaderlandsche Jeugd" (to Dutch Youth), our poet confesses "Ik ben ook eens jong geweest" (I was also young once). Our poet often refers to popular characters, like "Blonde Truitje", "Pier van Diep", "Schoonhoofsche Piet", etc. besides the more common "Hansworst", "Faustus", etc., and in one of the poems youth is addressed as "Bataafsche spruiten".
All editions of the Bendorp-plates are very rare and their history is a little confusing. Buijnsters dates our title around 1790, but the fourth Arends-edition published by Van Vliet en Ten Brink is dated 1794. And in 1794 the same publishers also published the second series of Bendorp-prints, under the title "Vaderlandsche Kindervreugd". And, considering the fact that a third edition of the new title was published by our publisher, Blussé at Dordrecht, in 1810, while all editions from the second series were published by Van Vliet & Ten Brink at Amsterdam until 1821, we suggest that the first edition published by Blussé at Dordrecht should be dated after 1794, when the first Bendorp print-series changed hands. All the plates are here very nicely coloured by hand.

Rather used and soiled copy.- (Stained and dog-eared throughout).

Saalmink p. 987 lists three copies; cf. Buijnsters, BNK, 1452 (first Blussé-ed. of our title, the poetry still ascribed to Arends, dated ca. 1790); Buijnsters, BNK, 1479 (the continuation, "Vaderlandsche Kindervreugd", in first ed. of 1794); Saalmink p. 1967, several 19th century ed. of "Vaderlandsche Kindervreugd".

Related Subjects: Children's Books Dutch Games & Pastimes Picture Books Professions

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