24 Caricatures by Several Ladies Gentlemen Artists &c. [&] Caricatures Macaronies & Characters by Sundry Ladies Gentle.n Artists &c

[London] No. 39 Strand: M. Darly, 1771. Ninety-Six Hand Colored Etched Plates Lampooning Contemporary Fashion and Manners
Scarce Ladies and Macaronies depicted by Mary Darly, the Mother of Pictorial Satire

DARLY, Mary, and Matthew. 24 Caricatures by Several Ladies, Gentlemen and Artists &c. [&] Caricatures, Macaronies & Characters by sundry Ladies, Gentle.n, Artists & c. London, M. Darly, 1771-1772-1773.

Four octavo volumes bound in two (8 3/4 x 5 1/2 inches; 222 x 140 mm.). Four hand-colored decorative titles, one leaf of engraved text in volume 1, and ninety-six vividly hand-colored etched plates.

Early twentieth-century dark brown morocco by Rivière. Covers elaborately paneled in gilt with a gilt center lozenge, spines with five raised bands elaborately decorated and lettered in gilt in compartments, gilt board edges and turn-ins, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt.

First edition complete of this 18th century collection of caricatures satirizing the fashionable manners of contemporary London society, particularly its dandies, known as "macaronis." Created by the husband-and-wife team Matthew (fl. 1741–1778) and Mary Darly (fl. 1756–1779), these prints pioneered a new British genre of caricature. Each features a single figure set against a plain background, with identity conveyed through dress, pose, and a few well-chosen props. The term macaroni prints aptly reflects their inspiration—caricature drawings by Pier Leone Ghezzi, which Grand Tourists brought back from Rome. This substantial collection includes contributions from several notable London artists, such as James Sayer, Matthias Darly, H. W. Bunbury, Sir Edward Newenham, Elizabeth Bridgetta Gulston, J. Williams, and Edward Topham.

Matthew Darly was a respected designer and printseller, known for his involvement in publishing Robert Manwaring’s The Chair-Maker’s Guide (1766) and Chippendale’s The Gentleman’s and Cabinet-Maker’s Director (1754). He also collaborated with ornithologist George Edwards on A New Book of Chinese Designs (1754). In 1749, Matthew was questioned by the government regarding the sale of satirical prints mocking the Duke of Cumberland. He admitted to acquiring a hundred, many of which had been sold by his wife in exchange for a book of ornament—likely his own recently published New Book of Ornament (1749) (ODNB). By 1762, Mary Darly had taken on the role of publisher for satirical prints, though the exact date of their marriage remains uncertain. It is possible she was the same wife referenced in 1749, as she earlier described herself as a "Fun Merchant, at the Acorn in Ryder’s Court, Fleet Street." However, there is reason to believe she may have been Matthews’ second wife. By 1766, the couple had firmly established their business at 39 Strand.

As political tensions escalated in the early 1770s, caricaturists shifted their focus from attacking political and aristocratic figures to ridiculing the exaggerated fashions and mannerisms of the macaronis. This publication proved highly popular, prompting a reprint in 1776. True to her bold style, Mary Darly advertised it as “the most entertaining Work ever published in Europe.”

Despite their contemporary wide popularity and broad distribution, and their importance in the history of British caricature, the albums of Mary Darly are of phenomenal scarcity. Of the volumes under notice, OCLC/KVK locate just three copies of the first volume (1771): Yale University Library, University of Texas, Harry Ransom, & University of Virginia [and] three copies of the second volume (1772): Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Harvard University, and Princeton University.

Provenance: Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, 1900-74 (bookplates), collector and member of the British royal family being the third son of King George V and Queen Mary. (Inventory #: 05692)