1875-80 Ask Mamma, Handley Cross, and 'Plain or Ringlets?'

Description

Colour Plates, Early Edition, Illustrated, Publishers' Original Binding

Two volumes are part of the 'Subscription Edition', printed for subscribers by Bradbury Agnew & Co. 

Three volume set in the publisher's original cloth binding. 

Illustrations include colour frontispieces to 'Ask Mamma' and 'Handley Cross', coloured vignette illustrations on the title pages, along with numerous colour plates and in-text illustrations, all drawn by John Leech (1817-1864). Leech was a British caricaturist and illustrator who contributed many drawings to 'Punch' magazine, and was also the first illustrator for Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol'. 

This is a wonderful set of humorous novels by Robert Smith Surtees, which includes 'Ask Mamma, or the Richest Commoner in England', 'Handley Cross', and ''Plain or Ringlets?''. These novels feature Surtees' popular character, Jorrocks, who is described as a 'vulgar but good-natured sporting cockney grocer'. 

'Ask Mamma, or the Richest Commoner in England' was first published in 1858, and features twelve hand-coloured plates, nineteen full-page illustrations, and fifty-one in-text illustrations. 

'Handley Cross' was first published in 1843, and features sixteen hand-coloured plates, thirty-one full page illustrations, and sixty-seven in-text illustrations. 

''Plain or Ringlets'' was first published in twelve parts from 1858 to 1860, and features twelve hand-coloured plates, eight full-page illustrations, and forty-three in-text illustrations. This is the only volume in this set to be published in 1875, before the 'Subscription Edition'. 

Robert Smith Surtees (1805-1864) was an English editor, novelist and sporting writer. His father was Anthony Surtees of Hamsterley Hall, which made him a member of the County Durham family. He is best remembered for creating the figure of Jorrocks, who he first introduced through the comic papers in his self-founded 'New Sporting Magazine'. 

Undated, so dated from identical copies on Jisc held at the National Trust and University of St Andrews libraries.

Collated, complete.