[Rarebooks] fa: HISTORY, DESCRIPTION AND SURVEY OF LONDON AND WESTMINSTER - 1784 (w/ 106 Plates, Maps, Plans)

[Ardwight Chamberlain]

Listed now, along with other 17th, 18th & 19th-Century English titles,  
auctions ending Monday, October 17. More details and images can be  
found at the URL below or by searching under the seller name arch_in_la.

http://www.ebay.com/sch/arch_in_la/m.html?_trksid=p4340.l2562

Thanks,
Ardwight Chamberlain
L.A.

William Thornton, ed.: The New, Complete, and Universal History,  
Description, and Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster, the  
Borough of Southwark, and the Parts adjacent. Including not only all  
the Parishes within the Bills of Mortality, but likewise the Towns,  
Villages, Palaces, Seats and Country, to the Extent of above Twenty  
Miles round; With all the late Improvements and Alterations..  
Comprising, in the most Accurate, Comprehensive, and Clear Manner, a  
full and satisfactory Account of all that relates to this important  
Metropolis, and surrounding Country, which can excite the Attention,  
or gratify the Desire of the Curious... by a Society of Gentlemen, the  
Whole Revised, Corrected & Improved... London: Printed for Alex.  
Hogg,... and sold by all Booksellers in Great Britain, Ireland,  
France, America, East and West Indies, &c., [c. 1784]. Tall folio (39  
x 26 cm; 15.5 x 10.25 in) in early/original calf, rebacked, with  
original spine label laid down; endpapers renewed; 546 pp. in total:  
iv, [5]-538, 525-532 p. (last 8 pages consist of the Contents, Addenda  
and Directions to the Binder); engraved plates, folding maps, woodcut  
decorations. Adams, London Illustrated 61.

COMPLETE WITH ALL 106 PLATE LEAVES, including the frontispiece and 2  
folding maps ("New & Correct Plan of London and Westminster"; "New &  
Correct Map of the Countries[sic] upwards of Twenty Miles round  
London"). Matches the register of plates of the Royal Botanical  
Society/Lindley Library copy, with some deviation in the placement of  
the plates, but our copy has an additional plate leaf not found in  
theirs (Views of Hampton Court and Chertsey). The handsome engravings,  
by Grignion, Royce, Rowling, Benoist, Taylor and others, depict  
historical scenes, portraits, views (ancient and modern), structures  
(churches, bridges, buildings, landmarks, etc.); coats of arms of the  
City Companies, coinage; Christopher Wren's plan for rebuiding the  
city after the Great Fire of 1666 (John Evelyn's plan as well); plans  
of the various wards and parishes (Billingsgate Ward and Bridge Ward,  
Faringdon Ward divided into Parishes, Aldersgate, Bishopsgate, Bread  
Street and Cordwainers, Candlewick, Cripplegate, Cheap Ward,  
Towerstreet Ward, etc.); a plan of London in 1642; etc., etc. The  
contents and addenda pages (the last 8 pp.) appear to have been added  
from a later edition, as the last date in the "Complete List of  
Mayors" is 1794; this might explain why the pagination 525-532 is  
repeated.

Original boards with scuffing, rubbing and wear, but the binding is  
sound and firm, with no cracking to the hinges. Bound without the list  
of subscribers. Folding map of London (bound in before the  
frontispiece) with some foxing and creasing, two repairs to the verso,  
three small edge-tears in the lower margin; year 1784 written in  
pencil at foot of title-page; closed tear to inner margins of first 3  
leaves of text, some age-toning to the page edges, occasional  
offsetting from the plates, a few touches of soiling to the margins,  
light scattered foxing here and there, but by and large the text and  
plates are clean and fresh. A very nice copy of a handsome production,  
originally issued in parts and rarely found with all of the plate  
leaves present.