THE COMIC HISTORY OF ENGLAND (TWO VOLUMES)
London, England: The Punch Office, 1855/1853. John Leech. Hardcover. Octavo, Volume I (1855): pp. xii + 320. Volume II (1853): pp. xii, 304. Each volume contains ten hand-colored steel plates and many woodcuts by John Leech. Red half calf over red marbled boards. Four raised bands and two black panels with gilt title to spines. Rubbing to extremities; scuffing to spines. Corners exposed. Marbled endpapers. Light age-toning to pages. Unmarked interiors.
Volume I: One inch separation to top of each joint. Plate opposite p. 288 has separated from hinge.
Volume II: One inch separation to bottom front joint. Good. Item #85580
Bold, witty political British comic humor from the first half of the 19th Century. The books are tight, and the hand-colored plates are sharp.
Price: $185.00