Fashion & Folly, or The Buck's Pilgrimage

London: William Sams, 1822. The Adventures of Lubin and his Friend Dashall
One of the Rarest of all of Henry Alken's Works

ALKEN, Henry, artist. HEATH, William, engraver. Fashion & Folly, or The Buck's Pilgrimage. [London: William Sams, 1822].

First edition. Oblong quarto (7 1/8 x 11 7/8 inches; 181 x 302 mm.). A series of twenty-four hand-colored aquatints including one which is double-folding, each mounted on stiff card. Each scene has four lines of verse printed at foot in double column.

Late nineteenth century half dark green morocco over marbled boards, front cover with dark green straight-grain morocco label, decoratively stamped and lettered in gilt. Recased with later endpapers. Some spotting to the mounts, otherwise a near fine example.

A highly colorful panorama, here in book form, illustrating the London adventures of Lubin with his friend Dashall. The well-off Lubin is seen leaving his country seat for London and experiencing scenes of high and low life. Their disregard for the expense is such that the two friends are eventually surprised by a bailiff and end up in a debtor's prison with ample time to reflect on their empty pockets and ill health.

One of the rarest of all the works by Henry Alken which apparently appeared both in Panorama and book form.

Abbey's copy was preserved in the original boxwood drum and measured 4 7/8 x 242 1/2 inches (which is identical to the total plate size of the present volume)

William Heath (1794-1840). British artist and engraver, he had concentrated in his early career mostly on military scenes but from 1830 he concentrated almost exclusively on satire. According to some internet sources but neither catalogue nor Abbey says anything other than Alken. Provenance: Le Vivier Library.

Provenance: Le Vivier Library (Christie's South Kensington, 30 October 2012, lot 35).

Abbey Life in England, 487; Bobins IV, 1296; Sabin 31; Not in Podeschi.