Home
Shopping cart (0 items € 0)
Go Back

Beautifully bound late-18th-century London Almanack

[MINIATURE BOOK - ALMANACK - LONDON].
London Almanack for the Year of Christ 1788.
London, T. Carnan, [1788]. 24mo(?) (5.7 x 3.3 cm). With an engraved armorial title-page, 4 full-page engraved portraits, and a half-page engraved view. Contemporary elaborately gold-tooled red morocco, the gold-tooled boards are beautifully decorated with a white morocco trellis-like (mosaic) pattern with red and green lozenge shaped morocco inlays, gilt edges, marbled endpapers. [24] pp.
€ 1,750
Rare remarkable "pocket" London almanack; an entirely engraved miniature publication for the year 1788. The almanac contains an explanation of its use on the title-page, four full-page portraits of the King of Prussia, the Prince of Orange, the Duke of Brunswick, and the Duke of York, common notes (including the dominical letters, golden number, and religious festive days) for 1788 beneath a half-page view of St. Paul's Cathedral, a calendar, an overview of all British Kings and Queens and the dates of their reign, a list of mayors and sheriffs (1767-1788), one page listing bank holidays, and an overview of the Royal family (King George III and Queen Charlotte and their children) can be found on the final page. The long series of the London Almanack is, according to Bondy, of special interest for the beautiful bindings which were issued or commissioned by the publishers themselves.
The binding shows signs of wear, with some minor loss of material around the foot of the spine and a small worm hole in the fore edge of the back board. The final page shows a light red stain, slightly affecting the text. Lacking its matching decorative slipcase. Otherwise in very good condition. Bondy p. 39 ff., and p. 164; Welsh p. 32 and passim; Coll. Arthur A. Houghton Jr., 194; this ed. not in WorldCat.
Order Inquire Terms of sale

Related Subjects:

Book history, education, learning & printing  >  Bindings
Europe  >  United Kingdom & Ireland