The Complete Angler, or The Contemplative Man's Recreation

Large thick octavo, 445pp., illustrated. First Little, Brown edition (Coigney 88). One of 100 copies, so stated on the verso of the title page. A very good copy bound in slightly later 3/4 dark brown morocco and green cloth. Outer joints show some restoration, and there is some rubbing to the extremities and cracking to the leather, but it's nevertheless a clean, sound example, bright, fresh, and lovely internally. Illustrated with 74 in-text engravings on wood and 12 inserted plates on steel. This copy belonged to Peter Oliver, the author of the first significant Angler bibliography, "A New Chronicle of the Compleat Angler" (Paisley, 1936). Oliver's small, neat ownership signature appears on the front free endpaper. Among the scarcest 19th century editions, this handsome wide-margined edition was printed in very small numbers. Coigney (88) states that half of the 100 copies printed were destroyed in a warehouse fire. This fact is also noted in pencil on a front blank in our own copy: "it is said that almost half of this edition of 100 copies was destroyed by fire." We are unsure whether this notation is in Oliver's hand. Nevertheless, one suspects that this was one of the few copies (or perhaps the only one) which Oliver examined for his own bibliography. Though short of a fine example, still a supremely desirable copy of a notably scarce "Angler," with pleasing provenance. …