Quarter Leather
by Jones, J. Kenyon
Quarter Leather. Very Good. N.d., circa 1860. 8vo. 19 by 11.5 cm. The drawings poke fun of fat people, philanthropists, indulgent pet masters, street urchins, dandies, etc. The cartoons could very plausibly have appeared in "Punch" magazine, for they are generally very well executed artistically, with visual humor that speaks for itself, and a number have captions that can bring a chuckle even to a modern reader. The humor tends to be gentle, directed at very human foibles, of which paramount is the lack of self-awareness in the subject. While most of the drawings are free-standing, with a few tied together in a short narrative, there is a strong cohesiveness to the whole album. Leafing through it should transport one to mid-Victorian London to witness some of its ordinary absurdities and quotadian collisions between people from different walks of life. Overall, it is the visual aspect of the drawings that will bring the widest smile. Rebacked, with skiver (pig). Heavy wear to boards. Scattered soiling within, most on the surviving tissue guards.
(Inventory #: 003377)