Hordern House

ANGAS, George French A Ramble in Malta and Sicily, in the Autumn of 1841. London, Tyler & Reed for Smith, Elder & Co 1842

Royal octavo, chromolithographic additional title by Angas, printed by M. and N. Hanhart, engraved dedication plate, 12 tinted lithographic plates by Angas, two wood-engraved illustrations; plates a little spotted else very good in original green cloth, all edges gilt.

First edition of Angas' first illustrated work, published the year before he sailed for Australia. This is a subscriber's copy, signed John Abraham on the front free endpaper: there are one hundred and seventy-nine names (including 'Abraham, J. Esq.') on the list of subscribers, and one hundred and ninety-seven copies subscribed for.

Angas early showed an interest in natural history and art, but as a young man took a place in a London office. He studied under the natural history artist Benjamin Waterhouse Hawkins, thanking the latter's 'new and infallible system' of drawing in the introduction to this work. In August 1841 he left on a tour of the Mediterranean, returning in November, and publishing this account of the trip less than a year later.

The work features a handsome series of twelve lithographic plates, taken from his own sketches from nature and drawn by him on the stone. The letterpress is taken from Angas' journal and shows his lively and inquisitive imagination, as well as giving many descriptive details of the pictures.

Now surprisingly rare, the Ramble shows Angas coming to maturity as an artist, and makes an important addition to any collection of Australian illustrated books.

$A2875

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