Angelica's Ladies Library; or, Parents and Guardians Present

London: Printed for J. Hamilton, 1794. First edition. Finely bound in half morocco over marbled boards ruled in gilt. All edges brightly gilt. Marbled endpapers. Lower front corner skinned. Light offsetting to endpapers. Faint gift inscription to outer margin of title. Header of titlepage shaved close without any loss to text, with textblock wide margined and clean. Pages measure approximately 190 x 150mm. Collating [2], vi, 440: bound without half title, else complete including engraved title and eight plates designed by Angelica Kauffman, a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts.  A surprisingly unfoxed and wider-margined copy than is typically (truncated) found of this compilation of early educational works designed to help usher girls into adulthood.

"These sheets were penned by some of the most amiable and well informed subjects of these realms, and intended as affectionate legacies of those noble and worthy persons to their amiable offspring, for whom they had such tender regard...to point out whatever was desirable and just in forming and perfecting the virtues of the female character."  Thus, John Hamilton brings together a series of 16 pieces on women's education and etiquette, by authors including Dr. Gregory, Lady Pennington, the Marchioness of Lambert, John Dryden, and Lady Ann Bothwell.  Using illustrations by a well-known female artist who was cutting edge in her own time, as a founding member of the Royal Academy of Arts, the Ladies Library was purposely suited and adapted for the use of the Female Sex" and for their parents, who might want to guide girls into responsible and intelligent womanhood.

ESTC T88185. (Inventory #: 3526)