THE NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY OF DISTINGUISHED AMERICANS

Book Description

Philadelphia: Perkins; NY: Monson; London: O. Rich, 1834, 1835, 1836, 1839. . Four volumes (complete set). Royal Quarto (9 x 11). Illustrated by numerous American painters and engravers. Full straight-grain black morocco by Benjamin Gaskell, gilt- and blind-tooled borders, embossed plaque center panels, spines gilt in 5 compartments; edges & turn-ins gilt, glazed yellow endpapers, a.e.g. Some foxing, especially near the plates (more so in the first two volumes). Front hinge of Volume IV is open, but sewing is firm. Bindings lightly rubbed along joints & extremities; but the gilt and the embossed plaques are fine. This is the largest paper version, in the deluxe binding. The book was produced in 3 sizes and bindings. All bear the Aurora plaque, but differ in borders and spine decoration. Besides the Royal Quarto (Wolf 191), there was an Imperial Octavo (7 1/8 x 10 1/2, Wolf 188), and a smaller octavo (5 1/4 x 8 1/2, Wolf 190). See Edwin Wolf, From Gothic Windows to Peacocks, American Embossed Leather Bindings 1825-1855. Each volume has an engraved title with vignette preceding the title page. While the bindings and engraved titles are dated as above, the title pages of vols. I and II are dated 1836. The imprint in Vol. IV gives Longacre and Herring as the publishers. This work was produced at great expense and effort. The financil panic of 1837 delayed publication of the final volume.

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