COHN’S COPY OF THE LORD OF THE MANOR, ILLUSTRATED AND SIGNED BY GEORGE CRUIKSHANK

(CRUIKSHANK, George). The Lord of the Manor; An Opera, in Three Acts: Altered from General Burgoyne, by Charles Dibdin, Jun. [London: Sherwood, 1825-27]. Octavo, contemporary paper wrappers. Housed in custom brown cloth chemise. $1100.

First edition, signed by George Cruikshank just beneath the illustration on the first page, from the library of Cruikshank scholar Albert M. Cohn.

From The London Stage: A Collection of the Most Reputed Tragedies, Comedies, Operas, Melo-Dramas, Farces, and Interludes, etc., this play is one of a two-year run of weekly issues. The frontispiece woodcut illustration by George Cruikshank is a fine example of his talent for accurately representing the author’s work visually: “His illustrations for books have always this advantage, that they are honest and generally effective attempts to elucidate the text, not nowadays an ever-present ambition to the popular artist” (DNB). Cohn 507. Paper wrapper with a bookplate and bookstamp from Albert M. Cohn, the foremost bibliographer of “Cruikshankiana.” Bookplate on chemise.

Interior clean, with marginal tears to upper corners of pages 9-12, with slight loss. An exceptionally good signed copy. Scarce.