- 20
Boswell, James
Estimate
10,000 - 15,000 GBP
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Description
- Boswell, James
- William Pitt; the Grocer of London, an excellent new ballad, written by James Boswell, Esq. and sung by him at Guildhall on Lord-Mayor's Day, 1790; when, after the alarms of war interrupting our commerce, an honourable peace was announced. Tune, Dibdin's Poor Jack. [London, 1790]
- Paper
Half-sheet broadside (332 x 138mm.), dark red folding morocco case by Riviere, gilt-lettered with motto and emblem of Boswell of Auchinleck, metal locks, dark red watered-silk lining, inner compartment with dark red morocco-framed glass door, small stain
Provenance
Isham Collection, Malahide Castle, gilt-lettered on case lining (sale Christie's New York, 17 May 1989, lot 25).
Literature
ESTC N479306; Rothschild 462 (recording the Rothschild copy, formerly in the Isham collection and now at Trinity College, Cambridge, this Isham copy and a copy in the Hyde collection, now in the Houghton Library at Harvard).
Condition
Condition is described in 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."
"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."
Catalogue Note
Rare, one of only three recorded copies and the only one still in private hands.
Boswell composed and sang this ballad celebrating Pitt's recent success in a favourable trade convention with Spain in an effort to win the Prime Minister's favour; it seems he was not successful. The broadside was printed privately as a souvenir of the event and must have been produced in very small quantities.