The Celebrated Lecture on Heads; which has been exhibited upwards of one hundred successive nights, to crowded audiences, and met with the most universal applause.

London: For J. Pridden Book. [1765.]. Folio, stitched, uncut. Pp. 9, (1). Folding engraved frontis. Creased at center, with a light stain at inner margin. A very good copy. "Fifth edition." An early folio edition from the first year of publication of an oft-printed comic staple of 18th century theater, generally cited as the first English comic monologue. Stevens was an actor and author of a libertine bent, who scored a huge success with this parody of an academic lecture on physiognomy, propped with fifty-one papier mache heads. He played it throughout his career, touring England, Ireland and America, and it was widely imitated and reprinted into the 19th century. The imposing frontispiece, dated September 25, 1765 in the plate, recreates Steven's presentation for posterity, showing him before his collection of exemplary heads. Of this edition, ESTC locates the BL copy only, stating in error "first published... in 1764," but failing to record any such edition, and indeed none exists with that date. A total of four of these folio editions printed in double columns were issued by Pridden, two undated, including the present "fifth" edition, which may well be the first such, and two from 1766. All are rare..