London:: John Murray, Albemarle Street., M DCCC XXXIII.
Physical Description
lx, 248 p.: illus.; 218 mm. (Octavo.)
Contents
[Half-t., t.p., dedic.] - Contents - [Note, by E.S.R.] - Sketch Of The Life Of James Northcote, Esq. R.A. - [Title, 'Fables, Original And Selected'] - Introduction [by E.S.R.] - [Text, with illus.]; [colophon] - Index To [i.e. list of] The Engravings.
Responsibility Note
In a note preceding the 'Sketch Of The Life Of James Northcote, Esq. R.A.' the editor acknowledges the 'assistance he has received from Mr. Brockedon, an intimate friend of the Author'.
In his Introduction the editor, 'E.S.R.' [i.e. Edmund Southey Rogers], outlines the responsibility for the illustrations, stating that 'Mr. Northcote ... desired that from his designs Mr. Harvey should execute the drawings on the blocks for engraving ... The vignettes and ornamental letters are entirely Mr. Harvey's invention ... To Mr. John Thompson, and the other Gentlemen ... whose names are attached to their several performances in the Index ... his acknowledgements are justly due.' These names appear not only in the Index but also as signatures with several of the illustrations. They are J. Thompson, Landells, Eliza Thompson, Thurston Thompson, Nesbit, Jackson, T. Williams, Branston & Wright, Martin, Slader, Gorway, Miss Williams, Bonner, White, Albert Thompson, J. Smith, C. Thompson (Paris).
The printer is named on the verso of the title-page and in the colophon: 'Chiswick Press: Printed By C. Whittingham.'
The work is dedicated by Edmund Southey Rogers to the Queen (that is, Queen Adelaide, consort of William IV).
References
S. Houfe, The dictionary of 19th-century British book illustrators (rev., 1996); J. Buchanan-Brown, 'British wood-engravers c.1820 - c.1860: a checklist', in Journal of the Printing Historical Society, 17 (1982-3); R.K. Engen, Dictionary of Victorian engravers, print publishers and their works (1979); C.J. Courtney Lewis, The story of picture printing in England during the nineteenth century (1928); E.C. Bigmore and C.W.H. Wyman, A bibliography of printing (1945); W.J. Linton, The masters of wood-engraving (1889); W. Chatto, J. Jackson and H.G. Bohn, A treatise on wood-engraving (1861).
Summary Note
This work is a companion volume to the 'One Hundred Fables, Original And Selected, By James Northcote, R.A.', published in 1828. It consists of a hundred fables, each of which begins with a wood engraving showing its subject and a decorated initial, and most of which conclude with a tail-piece. These, and the title-page vignette (a portrait of Northcote), are all listed and described in the 'Index To The Engravings'.
Provenance
Purchased for RA Library in 1870 (see 'Librarian's Report for the Year 1870', RA Annual Report, Appendix No. 6, p. 29).
Binding Note
19th-century half black morocco, black cloth-covered boards; spine lettered 'Fables - Northcote - 2.'
Subject
Fables - Animals in Art
Pictorial works - Illustrated books - Great Britain - 19th century