EDWARD ORME’S DRAMATIC COLLECTION OF 40 SUPERB HAND-COLORED AQUATINTS ILLUSTRATING EVENTS OF THE NAPOLEONIC WARS

ORME, Edward, editor. Historic, Military and Naval Anecdotes of Personal Valour… in the Last Long-Contested War, Terminating with the Battle of Waterloo. London: Edward Orme, 1819. Folio (11 by 13 inches), contemporary full straight-grained dark green morocco gilt rebacked with original spine laid down, all edges gilt. $7500.

First edition, first issue, of this vivid visual documentation of notable British victories, with 40 beautifully hand-colored aquatints, including extraordinary views of the Battle of Waterloo, Napoleon’s Russian campaign and the Battle of Trafalgar.

"The victory of Waterloo, obtained by the Duke of Wellington… is beyond a doubt one of the most glorious ever achieved by this, or any other country." "Edward Orme was, after Rudolph Ackerman, the most important publisher of illustrated books during the short golden age of the coloured aquatint." Born in Manchester, Orme moved to London and shortly after his first engraving was published was appointed print-seller by King George III and subsequently editor-of-prints by King George IV. Orme soon began work on "the publication of a series of coloured aquatint books, ending in 1818 with Historic, Military and Naval Anecdotes" (DNB). Beautifully illustrated, this is "a handsome volume containing 40 coloured aquatints, chiefly by Dubourg after Atkinson, Manskirsch, Clark and others," including the work of "William Heath, an ex-Captain of Dragoons, who made… many of… the original drawings" (Prideaux, 224, 305). With the first edition, first issue title page, without any ruling and dated "1819." Plates dated 1815-1818; paper watermarked 1812 and 1816; paginated to page 94 with "End" at bottom. Abbey, Life 376. Tooley 353. Prideaux, 346. Dealer description tipped to front flyleaf.

Plate impressions crisp and hand-coloring quite vivid, usual light offsetting of plates to text. Contemporary morocco-gilt binding very lovely. A beautiful copy.