William Henry Pyne | The History of the Royal residences. London, 1819, 3 volumes, red morocco, The Botfield copy

William Henry Pyne

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

FIRST EDITION, 3 volumes, large 4to (338 x 275mm.), 100 hand-coloured aquatint plates, watermarks: 1812 and 1817 (text), and 1818 (plates), contemporary red morocco gilt, covers with broad and narrow gilt ruled border with central Botfield arms stamped in gilt, spines richly gilt, gilt edges, lacking dedication in volume 3, without list of portraits, plates and rearrangement slip called for by Abbey, some unobstrusive spotting and staining, volume one with tear to spine

THE BOTFIELD COPY OF ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED AND AMBITIOUS AQUATINT BOOKS ON ENGLISH INTERIORS, AND THE FIRST TO ILLUSTRATE ROYAL RESIDENCES IN ANY DETAIL.

PROVENANCE:

Beriah Botfield (1807–1863), arms gilt on covers; Books and Manuscripts from Longleat, Christie’s 13 June 2003, lot 111; Neil and Gina Smith Collection, Sotheby's 2 July 2019, lot 152

LITERATURE:

Abbey, Scenery 396; Tooley (1954) 389