The Comic Blackstone, 2 vols, First Editions, London: 1844-1846.
First Edition of The Comic Blackstone A'Beckett, Gilbert Abbott [1811-1856]. Cruikshank, George [1797-1878], Illustrator. The Comic Blackstone: Part I--Of the Rights of Persons. London: Published at the Punch Office, 1844. viii, 92 pp. Frontispiece and woodcut title page vignette. [And] The Comic Blackstone: [Part II--Real Property, Part III-Private Wrongs, Part IV-Of Public Wrongs and Their Remedies]. London: Published at the Punch Office, 1846. xii, [93]-252 pp. Woodcut vignettes to title page and p. 252. Together 2 volumes. Small octavo (6-3/4" x 4"). Original pictorial wrappers (for first volume only, wrappers for second volume lacking) bound into contemporary signed bindings by Bartlett & Co. Boston, polished green calf with gilt frames to boards, gilt spines with raised bands and lettering pieces, gilt rules to board edges, top edge of text block gilt, marbled endpapers, gilt inside dentelles, green silk ribbon bookmarks. A few minor scratches to boards, very light fading to fore-edge of front board of Vol. I, light rubbing to extremities, faint offsetting to free endpapers. Light toning to interior, very light foxing and faint smudges in a few places, light soiling to original wrappers of Vol. I, faint offsetting from frontispiece to Vol. I title page, faint early ownership signature to head of Vol. II half-title. A very attractive copy. $950. * First edition of each part with illustrations by George Cruikshank. The classic parody of the Commentaries, it went through numerous English and American editions. Cruikshank was the leading English illustrator and caricaturist of his day. He is best known for work for William Hone and Charles Dickens. "A'Beckett was a barrister at Gray's Inn; according to a contemporary reviewer in the London Times, 'Few could have travestied so well the real Blackstone, following it literally step by step'" (Eller). Eller, The William Blackstone Collection at Yale Law School 185. Laeuchli, A Bibliographical Catalog of William Blackstone 429.
Price: $950.00
Book number 76858