The Analysis of the Hunting Field

Detailled analysis of the 1845-6 hunting season, charmingly illustrated by Henry Alken. In publisher's original quarter-cloth binding.Featuring seven colour plates and 43 additional black-and-white in-text illustrations reproduced from wood engravings by Henry Alken. Alken is best known as a caricaturist and illustrator of sporting subjects and coaching scenes. Collated, complete.Bookplate of F. Freeman Thomas to front paste down. With a contemporary inscription to the half-title page, dated Christmas 1923 and a tipped-in drawing of a horse to the front free endpaper, signed H. C.Author not stated, authorship confirmed from a copy held by the National Library of Wales.An in-depth analysis of hunting from the 1845-6 season by novelist and sporting writer Robert Smith Surtees. The articles within this work first appeared in the Bell's Life in London sporting paper printed weekly between 1824-1852. The chapters cover subjects including sporting months, etiquette and social roles. In publisher's original quarter-cloth binding. Bookplate of F. Freeman Thomas to front paste down and tipped-in drawing of a horse to the front free endpaper, signed H. C. Externally, smart with reasonable bumping and rubbing, resulting in slight loss of cloth to fore edge. The odd small tide mark and scattered marking to both boards. Internally, generally firmly bound. Frontispiece and illustrated title page loose and binding becomes more fragile in places towards the second half of the text block. Contemporary inscription to the half-title page, dated Christmas 1923. With a few unopened pages. Generally bright and clean copy with slight spotting, heavier to the first and last few pages. Very Good.…