Guide Comique (1 results)

Sole edition of this comic guide to London and the English, issued to coincide with the Great Exhibition. The four letterpress pages give some limited information for visitors: English money, the major sites (headed of course with the Crystal Palace), several hotels, inns and restaurants, carriage and boat fare, a few useful phrases and some baffling tips on British manners but this is really a vehicle for the 14 comic plates. They depict 46 numbered scenes or characters including: a coachman and a sweep, The Times newspaper, two pugilists, judges, beggars, hawkers, a Scotsman, huge barrels of drink (labelled 'Monster Cask') and a ratcatcher. The cover attributes the lithographs to 'Mr Cric' and the text to 'Mr Crac' and gives Paris and London booksellers' addresses, with a price of '1 Shelling'. 4to (258 × 208 mm), pp. [2], 4, plus 14 transfer lithograph plates. Quite foxed (heavier in a few margins). Original green paper printed wrappers. Slightly dusty, with corners just turned, spine mostly split, but contents holding. A very good survival of a rare and fragile item. [Worldcat lists the Vanderbilt University copy only; no British copies located in Library Hub; the CCFr lists a single copy in France (Bar le Duc).].