[Rarebooks] FS - George Cruikshank's Table Book

[Michael Watson]

FS - George Cruikshank's Table Book

George Cruikshank's Table Book
Gilbert Abbot A'Beckett, editor
Illustrated by George Cruikshank.
London, Punch, 1845, large 8vo, 1st, 284pp.

The Table Book was a compendium of satirical articles and short essays,
previously issued in 12 monthly issues on the "1st of the month" from
January to December 1845. Filled with fairly-biting social and political
satire of the day by authors John Oxenford, Horace Mayhew, Gilbert A. a
Beckett (the Editor's brother), Paul Prendergast, Shirley Brooks, Mark
Lemon, Michael Angelo Titmarsh (William Makepeace Thackeray), Angus B.
Reach, and "_Ferguson." Contains the first appearance of William
Makepeace Thackeray's "A Legend of the Rhine" written in several parts
under the pseudonym Michael Angelo Titmarsh.

Illustrated with plates and cuts by George Cruikshank per his satirical
take on these same social and political issues. Cruikshank was the ideal
illustrator for such thing, obviously believing that anyone or anything
worth satirizing needed a caricature instead of a mere rendering. Many
of the included articles include references to the included
illustrations of Cruikshank: this was the literary effort of authors in
knowing collaboration with their illustrator.

Between the authors and Cruikshak, smoking and foppish dress are given a
beating, and German featherbeds and German fleas are declared to be
constant companions. An affinity is declared for the "fine old stage
assassin," preferring him to the later "smooth" villain, a sonnet to
cold weather and a related personal selfishness is offered, the curious
logic of ladies is explored, and we are presented with the poem "On a
Block of Ice Brought From America Without Melting and Placed in the
Window of a Shop in the Strand." An enthusiast of anatomy examines a
talking skeleton in a graveyard and we are given a satirical lesson in
how, when, and where books should be read, the need for specialized
"almanacks" is considered including Grant's Almanack for Literary
Dustmen and Herr Singenschmall's Almanack for German Bullfinches.

The Illustrator George Cruikshank was a book illustrator and
caricaturist who preyed on the social and political foibles of Victorian
England. A co-creator of the concept and image of the English archetype
John Bull, he was arguably integral to the writing of Dickens' Oliver
Twist, contributing not only illustrations for one of the editions, but
also claiming credit for much of the book's story line. Cruikshank was
author of

The Editor Gilbert Abbot A'Beckett was on the staff of Punch in its
first days and a contributing writer after that. A prolific, perhaps
manic, playwrite, he managed to fit a journalistic career around the
writing of 50 to 60 plays. Author of three "Victorian comedies"
including his best-known Comic History of Rome.

List of 12 steel engraved plates, list of 109 wood engraved cuts.
Illustrated title page, unique to the book and not appearing in the
periodicals. Short advertisements at the rear. Later binding in full red
leather with gilt rules at the borders, original brown leather spine
with raised bands laid down. Spine labels (title and editor) are later,
and possibly more recent than binding. All edges of text block gilt.
Printing by Bradbury and Evans, Whitefriars, London. No DJ, as
originally issued.

Some scratching and marring to the covers. Corners generally sharp, but
with some wear especially to the tail rear. Very faint foxing to the
verso of the plates, does not show on the recto. Faintest mustiness.
Still somewhat tight and pages clean and bright. 1st edition of this
offprint of Punch. Better than VG and approaches VG+. Stock #1332c.
$295 USD.

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-- 

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[Books of great authors] are regarded as part of the necessary furniture
of the house -- not of the mind; and having been duly and dutifully
bought they are taught to know their place on the appointed shelf. They
are taken as read. There are few men now who, when a new book is published,
read an old one. - anonymous 19th century cynic