Lear, Edward.

first edition, folio (500 x 330mm.), tinted lithographed title with pictorial vignette, 20 tinted lithographed plates, list of subscribers, original green cloth lettered in gilt on upper cover, some foxing

Blackmer 987; Contominas 394 (facsimile edition only)

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Lear's Views had a difficult birth. His original intention was to reproduce his drawings not by lithography, but by photography. However, for the drawings to be suitable for photography, they had to be strictly black-and-white, and Lear did not get on well with the charcoal and chalk he was obliged to use. Abandoning this, he reluctantly returned to lithography, complaining of "the impossibility of getting any compensation... from the views I am drawing, since they being all executed reversed causes them to seem unreal, & without any interest". Upon completion, he wrote to a friend "if you hear of my being seen walking on my head or in any other remarkable mode about town, set my eccentricities down to extreme delight at my work having come to a conclusion". Lear's problems endured after publication when he had to chase up payment from no less than fifty subscribers (See Noakes p.159–161).