MEMOIRS OF JOSEPH GRIMALDI.

London: Richard Bentley, 1838. Book. Near fine condition. Hardcover. First Edition. Octavo (8vo). Two volume set. Vol. I: xx, 238 pages. x, 263 pages, [i], followed by 36 pages of publisher's advertisement. Original cloth from boards and spine bound in preceding and following the text. Bound in full blue/green morocco by Zaehnsdorf with five raised bands on the spine and heavy gilt lettering and decoration; minimal shelfwear. Marbled endpapers. The top edge of the closed pages is covered in gilt. A small number of pages have minor foxing, but the vast majority of the text is clean and bright. First edition, first issue, first state without the "grotesque" (truncated) border added to "The last Song" plate at page 238 in Vol. II. Complete with 13 illustrations by George Cruikshank. Extra-illustrated with three additional plates: Vol. I has a hand-colored plate of Grimaldi dated 1846; Vol II has the "The last Song" plate is included in three different states. . (Inventory #: 020246)