Alken – (Surtees, Robert Smith.) Jorrock’s Jaunts and Jollities. The Hunting, Shooting, Racing, Driving, Sailing, Eccentric and Extravagant Exploits of that renowned sporting citizen, Mr. John Jorrocks. New edition. With

16  coloured  aquatints  by  Henry  Alken

(ca. 11 x 17 cm). London, Routledge & Sons, (1869). Large 8vo. VIII, 291, 1 pp. Contemp. ruby Levant morocco on 5 ribs with dark green book plate on the splendidly gilt back, double gilt lines and corner fleurons, fine gilt standing edges, and blindstamped inside border. Marbled edges.

Tooley 471. – Schwerdt II, 236 (2^nd ed. of 1843, at the same time the first with the originally only 15 Alken illustrations). – The lower corners of the boards with feeble, practically imperceptible traces of pressure. Here and there tiny rubbings. Otherwise of untouched freshness.

Surtees  (Hamsterley Hall, Durham 1803 – Brighton 1864), whose publications were mostly published anonymously and at first in numbers in the New Sporting Magazine co-founded by him, was its publisher until 1836, too :

“ Nothing could well exceed the success of this work (The New Sporting Magazine) … Mr. Surtees himself touched on a vein of rich humour, of which, in such a field, there had hitherto been no suspicion … But Mr. Surtees was something more than a satirist or a humourist – he was a sportsman, and hence the force and effect he was enabled to give to his scetches – the foundation of truth upon which he laid his quaint, fanciful structures.

The  key-stone  here  was  Jorrocks  …  who , chapter  by  chapter ,

developed  into  the  full-blown  he  has  since  become .

The very rise and progress, in fact, of this sporting citizen can still be traced through the ‘Jaunts and Jollities’,

certainly  the  most  original  of  all  our  author’s  productions. ”

Which Schwerdt endorses :

“ All Surtees’ books – especially his set of hunting novels – are famous. They hold a place of their own in English sporting literature of the 19^th century … ‘Jorrocks’s Jaunts and Jollities’ easily takes first place, especially in the 2^nd edition (1843, superb) illustrated by Alken … This book has risen enormously in value lately .”

The edition offered here adequately presented. The delicious aquatints – enlarged by “Jorrocks’s Hunt Breakfast – A Terrible Surprise” – in wonderful deep colors. The binding worked as Levant morocco of show-case quality. Shortly,

Surtees’s  best  Jorrock , a  true  Alken , an  absolute  copy .

Offer no. 11,910 / EUR  1330. / Export price EUR  1264. (c. US$ 2040.) + shipping

“ At this time we are on our boat … I hope you extend the same faith in me as I have in you in paying for this sizable sum in advance (sight unseen) in the expectation of delivery … Best regards ”

(Mr. P. C., July 22, 2002)