Anglo-Norman Antiquities Considered. in a Tour Through Part of Normandy

London: T. Spilsbury, 1767. Hardcover. Folio. Full tree calf with gilt spine lettering. x, 61pp, (2pp). Illustrations. Good plus. While text block is tight and bright and handsome and the tree calf boards attractive if edgeworn, the spine is quite rough, scuffed and worn, with old but neat internal paper mends. Despite coarse spine this is an appealing first edition of the spectacular tour by the French-English librarian and antiquary (1713-85) -- "Illustrated with Twenty-Seven Copper-Plates" as the title page boasts and they are indeed magnificent. Ducarel's (truncated) much earlier tour of Normandy with an archivist's mindset resulted in two books, and he was certainly among the first Brits to be gobsmocked by viewing the Bayeux Tapestry and to write of Normandy in such a way that he paved the way for countrymen to follow in his footsteps. Handleable as is, though priced accordingly and perhaps a restoration candidate. The location of the "Quenby Library" whose circular inkstamp appears on the title page verso is a bit of a puzzler, though found on antiquarian volumes in many a national library. (Inventory #: 51103)