A Journey from London to the Isle of Wight [Two Volumes in One]

London: Printed at the Oriental Press by Wilson & Co. for Edward Harding, 1801. First Edition. Hardcover. Very good. Quarto, pp 205, 217, with two folding hand-colored maps and 47 engraved plates, in a contemporary full calf binding with gilt rules, spine in six compartments, with red and black spine labels and gilt embellisment. Some rubbing to boards, especially at joints and head of spine, a little worming to boards. Binding sound, scattered foxing, but generally clean. The maps, which are in very nice condition, show Pennant's route from London to Dover and then from Dover to the Isle of Wight. "Thomas Pennant was a Welsh antiquarian and naturalist whose works were very popular in the eighteenth century. His reputation was built on his important natural history survey British Zoology, first printed in 1766, and his accounts of two tours of Scotland undertaken in 1769 and 1772. Pennant made further tours in Wales and in England between 1773 and 1787 and his popularity among amateur naturalists and antiquarians resulted in the development of a comprehensive network of correspondents, many of whom supplied him with additional information that he added to subsequent editions of his works. Aside from his 1783 book describing the antiquities on the road between Chester and London and his immensely popular account of the antiquities of London, none of Pennant's English tours were published during his lifetime. This account of his 1787 tour to the Isle of Wight was edited by his son David and published in 1801. Rather than heading directly to the island, Pennant's tour took in much of the south-east coast of England, travelling first from London to Dover before traversing the coasts of Kent and Sussex" (Royal Collection Trust). (Inventory #: 23544)