first edition
1876 · London; New York
by Seccombe, Captain T. S.
London; New York: Frederick Warne and Co.; Scribner, Welford, and Armstrong, 1876. First edition. Very good plus.. First edition of an alphabet of rhyming "military nonsense," published in the midst of the British Empire's military expansion. Amusing caricatures of and commentaries on aspects of British military life during a time when the sun never set on the Empire. Favorites like mounted Dragoons, Highlanders, and Lancers lend their names to letters of the alphabet and humorous rhymes. Some caricatures make use of harmful exaggerations of national and racial features. The work captures the late 19th century British zeitgeist, as a series of colonial victories drove a public desire for military media in everything from novels to children's books to novelty ephemera. 10.5'' x 8.5''. Original green publisher's cloth binding stamped in gilt, black, and red. Full-page color frontispiece with 25 full-page color illustrations, each with tissue guard. [50] leaves printed one side only, with 2 leaves of ads to rear. Very light wear to binding edges. Hinges repaired; occasional soil to text. Overall sharp and bright.
(Inventory #: 37583)