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Britton, John (1771--1857)
Historical and descriptive essays accompanying a series of engraved specimens of the architectural antiquities of Normandy. Edited by John Britton, ... The subjects measured and drawn by Augustus Pugin, architect; ... And engraved by John and Henry Le Keux.
London (Place), printed for the proprietors, J. Britton; A. Pugin; J. Le Keux; and E. Le Keux,, 1828.
viii, xx, 40, 4 p., add. engr. t.-pl., [71] pl. (on 73 leaves, 2 hand-col. duplicates; 6 double-page) ; 33.1 cm. (4°)

Copies of Britton's Historical and descriptive essays, 1828, were given free of charge to subscribers to Pugin and Le Keux's engraved Specimens of the architectural antiquities of Normandy, issued in parts without the text between April 1826 and October 1827. By this means Britton was able to evade the expensive statutory requirement to deposit 11 copies of letterpress (which did not apply to engraved material) and at the same time to register his disapproval of the law. The Soane copy is accompanied by two leaves of letterpress printed on yellow paper and closely cropped. The first of these is headed 'Gratis.--To the Subscribers of the Engraved Illustrations.' and contains a drop-head title reading 'Historical And Descriptive Accounts Of A Series Of Engraved Specimens Of The Architectural Antiquities Of Normandy. ...' There follows an Address stating that 'For the reasons given in the Preface, this portion of Letter-press is offered to the Subscribers of the Engraved Illustrations without any additional charge; and though this mode of publication may be inconvenient and unpleasant to them, it is much more disagreeable to the Proprietors, ... The present Envelope contains the whole of the Letter-press; embracing The Preface:--Observations on the Architectural Antiquities of Caen,--of Rouen,--and of Bayeaux; and particular Accounts of the following Buildings, ...' Presumably the four-page list of plates giving the subjects and the arrangement for binding was also part of the free offer. The verso of this leaf is a short prospectus for Britton's Cathedral Antiquities of England and his works on Redcliffe Chruch, Bristol and Bath Abbey Church. The second leaf advertises other works edited, published or preparing for publication by Britton, including the present work. The Soane copy is a large paper copy with proof plates on India paper. As in the BAL copy (printed on ordinary paper), there are two duplicate plates of stained glass, both hand coloured; these duplicates are included in the letterpress list of plate, which assigns two numbers to the double-page plates. BAL, Early printed books, no. 420.

Copy Notes With two loosely inserted advertisements, closely trimmed: one for the engraved specimens, the other for the letterpress essays.

Binding Later C19th half purple morocco, gilt double-ruled borders, purple publisher's cloth, gilt thick-thin double-ruled spine, marbled fore-edges and endpapers. Bound by George Richmond for 6s. 6d., 22 August 1853. (Curatorial Papers/Bailey/Parcel 1).

Reference Number 4045

Additional Names Richmond, George, bookbinder; Le Keux, John (1783--1846); Le Keux, Henry (1787--1868); Pugin, Augustus (1762--1832)


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