Beschreibung:

ALKEN, Henry]. Sporting Discoveries or The Miseries of Hunting in a series of seven plates, being hints to young sportsmen by Ben Tally-Ho . London: S. and J. Fuller, [plates dated 2 September 1816].
ALKEN, Henry]. Sporting Discoveries or The Miseries of Hunting in a series of seven plates, being hints to young sportsmen by Ben Tally-Ho . London: S. and J. Fuller, [plates dated 2 September 1816]. Oblong 2° (280 x 385mm). 7 hand-coloured etched plates with deckle edges. (Plate 6 with small repair at outer margin.) Original printed buff wrappers, the front cover with title and imprint, publisher's advertisements on inner covers and rear (neatly rebacked); mid 20th-century quarter blue morocco slipcase and chemise, spine titled longitudinally in gilt. Provenance : purchased from Lucius Wilmerding, New York, 1952. FIRST ISSUE OF THIS EARLY ALKEN SERIES, BRIGHTLY COLOURED AND UNCUT IN ORIGINAL WRAPPERS. The 'discoveries' are intimations of approaching disaster which come to the inexperienced or unwary huntsman only after he is unable to prevent the worst from happening. For example, plate 3 shows a rider whose saddle has slipped to the neck of his bolting horse; the accompanying caption reads: ' ... being mounted on a good but hot horse, on his bolting with you across the next field, you discover that your girts are broken -- in this case it would be better to avoid thinking on how you are to dismount.' The companion piece to Miseries of Shooting , this is an exceptional copy of a 'rare, well-drawn and beautifully coloured' series. Two of the plates are watermarked 1815. Dixon 9 (later issue); Schwerdt I, p. 22; Siltzer p. 69 (later issue).