Description

The Tour of Doctor Prosody, in Search of the Antique and Picturesque, Through Scotland, the Hebrides, the Orkney and Shetland Isles; Illustrated by Twenty Humourous Plates. London, Matthew Iley, 1821. Cruikshank bibliographer, Albert M. Cohn’s personal copy, with his bookplate. This copy also has the superimposed engraved bookplate of William Hartmann Woodin, designed by E.B. Bird and printed by Tiffany & Company. Also, below the two distinguished prior owners is the book plate of the Brooklyn Public Library. This book was deaccessioned and auctioned at Bloomsbury Book Auctions, in London, February 6, 1986, lot number 343, described as: “First edition, hand-coloured acquatint plates, slight offsetting. Ink accession number on title, contemporary straight-grained maroon morocco, gilt [spine and covers], g.e. [gilt edges], slightly rubbed, 8vo, 1821.” Cohn 675. Twenty etchings, only the first is by George Cruikshank. The others are by Williams and Reed. Collation: [title, (1 leaf), “Advertisement to the Reader” (1 leaf) pages 1 – 252. ]This title was originally printed in parts, then in a volume with boards and a white printed paper label. Heir to a railroad car manufacturing company, William Hartmann Woodin (1868 – 1934) also served briefly as President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s Secretary of the Treasury March 4 – December 31, 1933, retiring because of poor health. He also collaborated with Johnny Gruelle, writing music for Raggedy Ann’s Sunny Songs. Tooley 433; Abbey Life 277.