Delineations of fonthill and its abbey

RUTTER, John

Published by Published by the Author, Shaftesbury, 1823

About this Item

Large paper copy. xxvi, 127pp, [1]. With a half-title, 13 engraved plates, including lithographed map, additional variant proofs (before lettering) of plates IV, XI, and XIII, plates VI, VII, VIII duplicated (the duplicates hand-coloured aquatints), and one further unnumbered engraved plate (visitor's ticket to Fonthill), all on India paper. Handsomely bound in contemporary calf, richly tooled in gilt and blind, T.E.G., marbled endpapers, gilt dentelles, armorial stamp to foot of spine (see below). Armorial bookplate of Merthyr Guest and another earlier unidentified armorial bookplate to FEP, very occasional spotting. A beautifully bound copy of the handsome - and most sought after - large paper edition, with additional proofs and etchings presented on India paper, of the definitive topographical celebration of Fonthill Abbey - also known as Beckford's Folly - a large Gothic revival country house built at the turn of the 19th century at Fonthill Gifford in Wiltshire, England, at the direction of William Thomas Beckford (1760-1844) the celebrated novelist and collector, and architect James Wyatt (1746- 1813). The lavish work was available in three states, this being the most desirable, described in the subscribers list as 'Proofs and Etchings on India Paper', atop a list of the recipients of the 78 copies, including not only Sir Thomas Phillipps, but also - naturally - John Farquhar ('2 copies'), who had purchased Fonthill from Beckford in 1822, for £330,000. This copy, with an armorial stamp (talbot stantant, with a marquess's crown) to the foot of spine, was evidently one of the two destined for 'Earl Grosvenor, Eaton Hall', Robert Grosvenor, 1st Marquess of Westminster (1767-1845), and later owned by Thomas Merthyr Guest (1838-1904), Welsh industrialist and landowner, husband to author, benefactor, and granddaughter of the 1st Marquess of Westminster, Lady Theodora Guest [nà e Grosvenor] (1840-1924). Abbey, Scenery 418. Size: Quarto.

Seller Inventory # AQ31388

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Delineations of fonthill and its abbey
• Publisher: Published by the Author, Shaftesbury
• Publication Date: 1823
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition: First edition.