The Harbours of England

THE HARBOURS OF ENGLAND John Ruskin. Illustrated by J. M. W. Turner. Edited by Thomas J. Wise. George Allen, Orpington 1895 New Edition Illustrated Hardback. This copy is in exceptionally fine condition bound in brown linen covered boards with blind borders front and rear and gilt titling to the spine There are two book plates, the one on the front paste down is of Matthew Henry Whitty Devenish, a member of the brewing family and another to the f.e.p. There is also a small label of the issuing bookseller (D. M. Beach, Salisbury) There is some typical offsetting to the endpapers but the text block is bright and tight. This book was originally published in 1856 and reprinted but after 1877 there was no new edition and thus became one of Rukin's lesser known works. Ruskin very much admired Turner's art and to a great extent iot is believed that he took inspiration from Turner in his own art work. The 12 photogravure plates are copies of better quality examples of the original Lupton plates, as used in Ruskin's serial publication 'The Ports of England' and later published with six others in a folio with Ruskin writing the commentary to Turner's marine painting. as available at the time of publication. The "Harbours" are Dover, Ramsgate, Plymouth, Catwater, Sheerness, Margate, Portsmouth, Falmouth, Sidmouth, Whitby, Deal and Scarborough. The editor provides a history of the publication of the book, of earlier editions, and of the Turner illustrations. Thomas J. Wise of course went on to greater notoriety when it was discovered that he had perpetrated a great many forgeries of nineteenth century pamphlets, including one or two by Ruskin! Ref J4.…