Lot 249: WESTMACOTT, CHARLES MOLLOY. 1788-1868. English Spy An Original Work, Characteristic, Satirical, and Humorous. Comprising Scenes and Sketches in Every Rank of Society, being Portraits of the Illustrious, Eminent, Eccentric, and Notorious. Drawn from

English Spy An Original Work, Characteristic, Satirical, and Humorous. Comprising Scenes and Sketches in Every Rank of Society, being Portraits of the Illustrious, Eminent, Eccentric, and Notorious. Drawn from the Life by Bernard Blackmantle. Sherwood, Jones, and Co., London, 1825-26.
24 parts. 8vo (252 x 152 mm). 4 pp ad inset at front of parts 9 and 24. 71 colored aquatints, 1 wood engraved plate and in text wood engravings by Robert Cruikshank, Thomas Rowlandson, and others. In original buff-colored pictorial wrappers. Custom chemises and slipcases (worn). One plate laid down on linen with period library inscription at center, chips to extremities of two plates, several wrappers repaired, a few parts with wrappers from prior issues and new numbers stamped in ink, some spotting and a few short tears, tanning to wrappers of part 1, period ownership inscription on front wrapper of several parts partially removed.
Exhibited: Grolier Club, 'Essential Parts,' 1996, p 25.

A HIGH SPOT OF ENGLISH BOOK ILLUSTRATION WITH ORIGINAL DRAWING LAID IN. First edition in original monthly parts. With rare "five Pillars of Society" woodcut plate. Ray calls this the "liveliest and most authentic" of a number of aquatint-illustrated books of the 1820s depicting the "raffish life of English pleasure seekers," in no small part due to Cruikshank's vibrant illustrations. Cruikshank was responsible for 67 color plates, the woodcut illustration reproduced on the wrapper, and several in-text wood engravings, while Rowlandson contributed 2 color plates. Present is a matted pen, ink, and wash drawing (198 x 116 mm) by Cruikshank (initialed R.C. fecit), which was the basis for the aquatint titled, "The King at Home, or Mathews at Carlton House," issued with part 10. No copy of the parts issue has appeared at auction in the last 34 years. Abbey Life 325; Ray 44; Tooley 504.