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[Combe, William] : THE ENGLISH DANCE OF DEATH FROM THE DESIGNS OF THOMAS ROWLANDSON. And THE DANCE OF LIFE

R. Ackermann, London, 1815-1816 & 1817

Three vols. Lg. 8vo. (9 3/4x 6 1/4 inches), in the publisher’s remainder binding of orange vertical ribbed cloth, with blind blocked decoration on the covers and gilt decoration (featuring a large femur and a country Church graveyard on the Dance of Death volumes, and dancing figures on “Life”). Top edges gilt, other edges untrimmed. In very nice condition with a just a minimum of handling wear. With binder’s ticket of Remnant & Edmonds in two of the volumes; and the oval, embossed bookplate of: F. R. Atkinson Pendleton, Oak House.36 hand-colored aquatints by Thomas Rowlandson in each volume of the Dance of Death, and 24 in the Dance of Life, plus engraved, hand-colored titles and frontispieces for each title. Abbey states that the Dance of Death was issued in 24 serialized parts from April 1814 until March 1816; this is the FIRST EDITION in book form.Rowlandson's contribution to the Dance of Death genre is notable and is nicely summarized by Aldred Warthin; "The work consisted of seventy-four full-page color prints, with a poem by William Combe. Rowlandson's clever and humorous spirit found a congenial field in the depiction of these subjects. Many of his plates are highly original and curious, and extremely interesting as revealing the morals and manners of the English people in the early nineteenth century. They are all intended to convey a powerful moral lesson..."This is a brilliantly hand colored copy, with occasional minor offsetting onto the facing text pages and no foxing, typical problems that turn up in sets that have been rebound and which were put into presses during the process. It is also the largest possible copy, taller (by three-quarters of an inch) and wider (by three-eights of an inch) than the average rebound set that appears at auction. VERY NICE.Warthin, A. The Physician of the Dance of Death. NY, 1931. pp. 93-98. Abbey/Life 263 & 264. Tooley 410 & 411. Douce. pp. 199-200. Susan Minns Collection 524.

A BEAUTIFULLY COLORED COPY IN THE PUBLISHER’S CLOTH

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