Pictorial Acrostics

Dublin, Hodges, Foster & Co. , (1870) For Private Circulation.. Fine. Hardcover. 1st Edition. Scarce. Original decorated cloth boards in brown, elaborate title in gilt double, gilt line detail to front board, no inscriptions, pristine endpapers, plain clean title page, followed by A Preface. 'This collection of original Acrostics and Riddles is printed to assist in the purchase of an Organ for the Parish Church of Laxton in Notts. , the Pictorial Acrostics have no letter-press attached to them, they are all double Acrostics the subject of which is shown in the centre pictures at the top of the page. C. D. , ' 66 pages, 17 sepia toned full page illustrations. The condition of this book which was printed for private circulation is near fine. Size 6.25 x 4.00 inches approx. A book with this title was referred to in a sale Paul M Hertzman Inc, Margolis and Moss. 100 Books with Original Photographs 1846-1919. "31. PICTORIAL ACROSTICS. By the Hon. C. J. E. And Others by H. R. , F. L. M. Etc. Dublin: Hodges, Foster & Co. , 1870. 66 pages. With 17 mounted albumen photographs by an anonymous photographer, measuring mostly 3 x 5 inches (76 x 127 mm. ) . Twelvemo, 6+ x 4 inches (165 x 102 mm. ) . Gilt-printed sanguine colored cloth; a bright copy. An acrostic is a poem in which individual letters taken from one word are used to spell another word generally associated with the subject or theme of the poem. When internal letters in the first solution form additional words or phrases, it is a double acrostic. In this book, ink and watercolor drawings, reproduced by albumen photographs, are used as clues in solving the acrostics. This book was produced "for Private Circulation" to raise funds "to assist in the purchase of an Organ for the Parish Church of Laxton in Notts. "Although titled, Pictorial Acrostics, the book contains interesting poetically formed riddles and charades as well. Gernshein Incunabula #510 identifies the illustrations as clichT- verre prints; however, as a number of the drawings are not just linear, but have background tones, it's more likely these are photographs from drawings. The O. C. L. C. Locates only the copy in the Gernsheim collection at the Humanities Research Center in Austin. We have also found an example at the University of Nottingham Library in England.." .