ca. 1799-1800 · London
by (LITERARY WORKS IN PARTS, 18TH CENTURY). DEFOE, DANIEL
London: Printed [by J. Hale] for C[harles]. Cooke, ca. 1799-1800. Cooke's Cheap and Elegant Pocket Library Edition; First Edition with these Illustrations. 155 x 112 mm. (6 1/8 x 4"). 10 parts housed together in one clamshell box..
In original publisher's printed wrappers, housed together in a maroon morocco clamshell box with raised bands, gilt-ruled compartments, gilt lettering. Each part with an engraved plate, that in the first part a portrait of the author, the other nine scenes from the novel. Front covers of parts 2-10 with ink signature of J. A. Kuyper. First part with top quarter of front wrapper torn away (but neatly repaired with brown paper), plate in first part loose, all wrappers a little soiled, untrimmed edges a little dustsoiled and frayed, first two parts with shallow one-inch-wide stain to head edge, three parts with isolated light foxing, other trivial imperfections, but an excellent set, remarkably clean and fresh, and with minimal wear, safely housed in an attractive modern box.
Costing just sixpence a part, this set is a remarkably rare survival of the edition that made Defoe's own tale of survival available in illustrated form to an audience of modest means for the first time. Originally published in 1719 and still beloved today, "Robinson Crusoe" is a tale of endurance and ingenuity in which a marooned seaman rises to the challenges of 28 years on a desert island, his solitude relieved only by the eventual appearance of the loyal native, Friday. After our publisher Charles Cooke (1759/60 - 1816) took over his father's business in 1789, he "refined the art of serial publication." Previously, "illustrations had been made integral to a series of pocket editions by John Bell in his Poets of Great Britain." But it was Cooke's innovation "to apply this formula to several genres in a co-ordinated fashion. By marketing parallel series of novelists, poets, essayists, historians, and devotional authors—in uniform pocket editions, all 'Superbly Embellished'—and by adding plays to his list . . . Cooke became the first purveyor of a full range of English classics." (DNB) The wrappers on our parts advertise a wide range of novels, sacred and secular classics, poetry, and history books, as well as dozens of plays, to be had in "Superior Editions" at a shilling per part as well as "Cheap Editions" at sixpence apiece. Each part came with an engraved plate; DNB notes that "in the annals of book illustration, Cooke helped to provide 'the first steady market for the work of English engravers and artists' (Amory, 140)." The editions were enormously popular; poet Leigh Hunt rhapsodized: "I doted on their size; I doted on their type, on their ornaments, on their wrappers, . . . and on the engravings." Our former owner J. A. Kuyper evidently shared Hunt's enthusiasm, and treated these insubstantial booklets with great care. This publication in its fragile wrappers seems to be of notable rarity in the marketplace: we could trace no other copy besides this one at auction. The copy sold in 2013 at Hauff and Auvermann would seem to be the present one.. (Inventory #: ST20130)
In original publisher's printed wrappers, housed together in a maroon morocco clamshell box with raised bands, gilt-ruled compartments, gilt lettering. Each part with an engraved plate, that in the first part a portrait of the author, the other nine scenes from the novel. Front covers of parts 2-10 with ink signature of J. A. Kuyper. First part with top quarter of front wrapper torn away (but neatly repaired with brown paper), plate in first part loose, all wrappers a little soiled, untrimmed edges a little dustsoiled and frayed, first two parts with shallow one-inch-wide stain to head edge, three parts with isolated light foxing, other trivial imperfections, but an excellent set, remarkably clean and fresh, and with minimal wear, safely housed in an attractive modern box.
Costing just sixpence a part, this set is a remarkably rare survival of the edition that made Defoe's own tale of survival available in illustrated form to an audience of modest means for the first time. Originally published in 1719 and still beloved today, "Robinson Crusoe" is a tale of endurance and ingenuity in which a marooned seaman rises to the challenges of 28 years on a desert island, his solitude relieved only by the eventual appearance of the loyal native, Friday. After our publisher Charles Cooke (1759/60 - 1816) took over his father's business in 1789, he "refined the art of serial publication." Previously, "illustrations had been made integral to a series of pocket editions by John Bell in his Poets of Great Britain." But it was Cooke's innovation "to apply this formula to several genres in a co-ordinated fashion. By marketing parallel series of novelists, poets, essayists, historians, and devotional authors—in uniform pocket editions, all 'Superbly Embellished'—and by adding plays to his list . . . Cooke became the first purveyor of a full range of English classics." (DNB) The wrappers on our parts advertise a wide range of novels, sacred and secular classics, poetry, and history books, as well as dozens of plays, to be had in "Superior Editions" at a shilling per part as well as "Cheap Editions" at sixpence apiece. Each part came with an engraved plate; DNB notes that "in the annals of book illustration, Cooke helped to provide 'the first steady market for the work of English engravers and artists' (Amory, 140)." The editions were enormously popular; poet Leigh Hunt rhapsodized: "I doted on their size; I doted on their type, on their ornaments, on their wrappers, . . . and on the engravings." Our former owner J. A. Kuyper evidently shared Hunt's enthusiasm, and treated these insubstantial booklets with great care. This publication in its fragile wrappers seems to be of notable rarity in the marketplace: we could trace no other copy besides this one at auction. The copy sold in 2013 at Hauff and Auvermann would seem to be the present one.. (Inventory #: ST20130)
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