Lot 257D email save

CHILDS, Cephas G. Views of Philadelphia.

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Philadelphia: C. G. Childs, 1827-30. 6 parts, royal 8vo (277 x 187 mm). 25 engraved views after Birch, Doughty, Strickland and others, engraved Plan of the Eastern Penitentiary, engraved title in the final part. Notices, slips, text, binder's directions and subscriber's list as per Snyder. Publisher's wrappers, front wrappers with engraved borders and text. Housed in a cloth chemise and clamshell case. Condition: several leaves and plates with restoration closing short edge tears, scattered minor foxing; wrappers rebacked with cloth tape, other more expert restoration reinforcing edges and corners with tissue, soiling and some staining to the wrappers, loss to one corner of a rear wrapper restored. Provenance: Transylvania University (discrete inked stamps, numerical ink notation); Martin P. Snyder. first edition in original parts. Issued to subscribers between November 1827 and November 1830, these parts constitute the true first edition of the work. "Each 'number' was bound in an engraved cover on paper similar to that used for the engravings, while thicker, stiffer paper was used for the description pages ... Nothing was overlooked in making the final presentation one of finest quality," Snyder writes referring to the parts. Regarding the prints, he continues, "There was no stinting on their quality; they were crystalline yet in almost every case warm and appealing, without need to be spiced by hand-coloring." very rare in parts. Snyder, MOA pp. 70-77 (a complete collation of the parts).

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