Every Body Out Of Town exemplified in six characteristic prints and illustrative labels [with] Every Body In Town exemplified in six characteristic prints and illustrative labels

London: S. W. Fores, 1800. The Rarest Woodward of All
London Is No Place To Be In The Summer

WOODWARD, George Moutard (designer). [SANSON, Francis, engraver]. Every Body Out Of Town exemplified in six characteristic prints and illustrative labels [with] Every Body In Town exemplified in six characteristic prints and illustrative labels. London: S.W. Fores, 1800.

Second editions, originally published by Woodward himself in 1794/1796. Quarto (10 1/8 x 8 3/8 in; 259 x 213 mm). Twelve hand-colored engraved plates (9 x 7 1/2 in; 297 x 192 mm), two hand-colored engraved title-pages, each imprinted Feb. 14, 1800, and mounted on fourteen (truncated) quarto sheets (133/4 x 18 1/4 in; 349 x 470 mm) of various colors. Four blank leaves at rear, folded blank quarto sheet inserted in rear pocket.

Bound in contemporary full maroon morocco, with double gilt fillets enclosing extravagantly blindstamped covers with an outer frame of floral and foliate motifs, volutes, curls, with bacchants along lower edge, an inner rolled frame, and a central panel with center lozenge within an elaborately blocked medallion. Pocket to rear cover. Astonishingly bright, clean and very fine. Housed in a felt-lined, half maroon morocco over gray cloth clamshell case, spine with five raised bands, ruled and lettered in gilt in compartments.

OCLC records one copy of the 1800 edition of Every Body Out of Town and only two copies of the 1800 edition of Every Body In Town in institutional holdings worldwide. Not found in the British Museum's collection of satirical prints. According to the ABPC Index, the last time either title came to auction was in 1942 ((Every Body Out of Town, 1800) and 1923 (Every Body In Town, 1800).

These 1800 reprints are rarer than the original issues. They are also larger than the 1794-1796 first issues, which measured only 7 7/8 x 6 5/8 inches (200 x 170 mm).

Of George Murgatroyd Woodward (1760?–1809), caricaturist and author, the DNB notes that he, "later known as Mustard George, grew up in a Derbyshire town, living with his father and, to judge by the evidence of his later writings, received a sound education. He took early to caricature, ridiculing his neighbours in Derbyshire; a folio of these drawings dated 1781 is in the Derby Local Studies Library, among a sizable collection of his prints, drawings, and book illustrations. His caricatures having caused something of a local stir, he persuaded his father to let him seek his fortune in London.

"Apart from two caricature prints dated 1785 designed by Woodward and published by him from 28 Cary Street, Lincoln's Inn, London, it was not until 1790 that he made an impact on the London scene. Thereafter his output was copious. The British Museum catalogues list 525 examples of his work from the next twenty years, published by Holland, Fores, Ackermann, and latterly Tegg, all leading printsellers. These prints, designed by Woodward, are etched by others—Rowlandson, who was his friend and drinking companion, Isaac Cruikshank, Roberts, and Williams. Woodward's original drawings are vigorous… [and] his value lay in his humorous ideas.

"Woodward…might have rivalled Hogarth. Certainly his collaboration with Rowlandson constituted a lively, if frivolous, commentary on the social scene. Dorothy George described him as ‘original, prolific, varied, humorous and good-humoured,’ and few students of the subject would dispute her conclusion that his death was ‘a loss to caricature’ (George, English Political Caricature, 1.174)" (Simon Heneage, ‘Woodward, George Murgatroyd [1760?–1809)] Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004).

Etcher and engraver Francis Sanson was active 1784-1799.

Bobins IV, 1365; Gordon Library BC28, BC29; Not in Abbey or Tooley. (Inventory #: 05696)