Pyne, W. H.

The History of the Royal Residences of Windsor Castle, St. James's Palace, Carlton House, Kensington Palace, Hampton Court, Buckingham House, and Frogmore.  London: Printed for A. Dry, 1819



3 volumes, large 4to (15 3/4  x 12 1/2  in.; 400 x 318 mm).  100 fine handcolored aquatint plates, 59 after C. Wild, 25 after J. Stephanoff, 9 after R. Cattermole, 6 after W. Westall, one after G. Samuel, engraved by T. Sutherland, W. J. Bennett, R. Reeve, D. Havell, and J. Bailey, uncolored tailpieces in vol. 1, text watermarked 1817; minimal marginal soiling and spotting, very light scattered foxing (mainly to verso of plates), small tear to second leaf of first volume, top edge of C1 in first volume lightly chipped.  Contemporary full straight-grained morocco, spines elaboratly gilt in six compartments, covers with borders of multiple gilt fillets surrounding a wide gilt-patterned border enclosing central panels with a large cathedral motif, all edges gilt, gilt turn-ins, brown endleaves; minimal wear to extremities, scrape to upper covers of volumes 1 and 3 affecting a bit of the gilt border.  Red buckram slipcases.

Michael Sharpe (morocco gilt bookplates)

Abbey Scenery 396; Tooley 389

First edition, large paper copy, with strikingly colorful plates.  One of Ackermann's most important collaborators, William Henry Pyne (1769–1843) "became connected with Ackermann about 1803, and came by degrees to occupy himself more with writing than painting, providing the text or part of it for many of Ackermann's publications.  It is not perhaps surprising that, being himself designer, painter, engraver and author, he should become enamoured of book production.  His great effort in this direction was the large and costly work entitles The History of the Royal Residences ... undoubtedly a very sumptuous book for which author, artist, engraver and publisher alike did their best" (Prideaux, pp142–43).