THE ORIENTAL ANNUAL; CONTAINING A SERIES OF TALES, LEGENDS, AND HISTORICAL ROMANCES

198 x 122 mm. (7 1/2 x 4 7/8"). Two volumes. Extremely pleasing contemporary crimson pebble-grain morocco, covers with a double gilt rule surrounding a large scrolling central frame, raised bands, spine gilt in compartments with elaborate small tools radiating from floral centerpieces, turn-ins gilt, patterned endpapers, all edges gilt. WITH A TOTAL OF 36 ENGRAVED PLATES (18 in each volume) by William and Edward Finden and others, as called for, after sketches by Bacon and Captain Meadows Taylor. Joints just a bit rubbed at head and tail, two small scratches to one cover, corners with just a whisper of wear, occasional faint offsetting from plates, the faintest foxing or stains to a very few plates, a bit of thumbing, otherwise beautiful copies with only the most trivial of imperfections. These are handsomely bound and extraordinarily well-preserved copies of the final two volumes of a series inspired by the author's time on the Indian subcontinent. The son of a noted sculptor, Thomas Bacon (1813-92) was a talented artist whose service in the Bengal Horse Artillery furnished him with endless fascinating and "exotic" subjects for his sketches and drawings. In 1837, he published "First Impressions and studies from nature in Hindostan," which found an appreciative audience at a time when illustrated travelogues were much in vogue. He produced illustrations for Wilson's "Oriental Portfolio," and for the present "Oriental Annual," which had brought stories and views of the Far East to the British public, beginning in 1834. In the 1839 edition, Bacon and his very able engravers, the Finden brothers, present dramatic scenes of the seas around Tenerife and of the peaks of the Himalayas, along with wonderfully detailed depictions of "monumental architecture," including temples, tombs, and military installations. For the 1840 volume, Bacon collaborated with his friend Captain Philip Meadows Taylor (1808-76) a longtime British administrator with extensive knowledge of the region. There is more focus on cities in this volume, and the authors recount both legends and historical facts to set the scene. The plates include a portrait of the emperor of Delhi but focus on city views and fine architecture. Produced when William (1787-1852) and Edward (1791-1857) Finden were in an extended period at the top of their craft, the plates here are characterized by the great delicacy of detail, sophisticated gradation of light, and rich texture of surface for which they were known. While volumes from this periodical series appear on the market regularly, they are rarely so finely bound and in such remarkable condition as the present pair.…