[Rarebooks] FS: Scarce BOOK OF CHRISTMAS, 1836, with Hand-Colored Plates in a Fine Binding

[Charles Agvent]

HERVEY, Thomas K. THE BOOK OF CHRISTMAS. London: William Spooner, 1836. 
First Edition. Small octavo (4" x 6-1/2") beautifully bound by Birdsall 
in full dark green morocco with triple gilt rules and multiple floral 
gilt decorations on both covers, spine with five raised bands and gilt 
decorations and lettering, gilt dentelles, green silk endpapers, all 
edges gilt; original cloth spine bound in at rear, viii, 344 pages. 
Illustrated with numerous hand-colored plates by Robert Seymour. "Thomas 
Hervey’s THE BOOK OF CHRISTMAS is remembered today for the wonderful 
illustrations by Robert Seymour (1798-1836), one of the most successful 
caricaturists of his time. Hervey’s text gives an exhaustive historical 
account of old English Christmas customs: some -- like the feasting on 
roast beef and turkey, plum pudding and mince pies -- still flourishing; 
others -- like waits (carol singing at night) and mumming -- almost 
forgotten. Seymour’s illustrations, completed just a few months before 
his suicide as he was working on Dickens’s PICKWICK PAPERS, capture the 
spirit and joy of the season. From the coach load of Norfolk turkeys, to 
the sleepy waits singers in the light of the street lantern, to the 
merry old gentleman enjoying Christmas by his fire, he provides a 
delightful selection of holiday scenes. THE BOOK OF CHRISTMAS, first 
published in 1836 and reprinted the following year, was an early attempt 
to record and preserve the old customs. As the Victorian revival of the 
holiday gathered pace during the 1840s many more histories of Christmas 
festivities and practices were published. They were often bound and 
illustrated as attractive gift books, and so helped to establish a new 
tradition of the Christmas publishing season” (BRITISH LIBRARY). Spine a 
tad sunned. A Fine copy of a scarce book beautifully bound. (#021154)    
     $3,000

https://www.charlesagvent.com/pages/books/021154/thomas-k-hervey/the-book-of-christmas

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