"ONE OF THE MOST FREQUENTED POINTS FROM WHICH A SPECTATOR MIGHT OBTAIN A GOOD VIEW OF PARIS": A TOUR THROUGH PARIS, 1825, WITH 21 FINE HAND-COLORED FOLIO AQUATINT PLATES OF PARIS

(SAMS, William). A Tour through Paris. London: William Sams, [1825]. Tall folio (11 by 15 inches), modern full brown calf, raised bands. $5800.

Second edition of this vividly illustrated tour of the streets and inhabitants of early 19th-century Paris, with 21 finely hand-colored folio aquatint plates.

The vibrant plates feature "Street Characters"—scenes of everyday city life rather than stately monuments, such as jugglers, vendors, dancers, porters, stilt-walkers, itinerants, fishmongers, flower sellers, soldiers, water-carriers, and the wealthy on promenade. Plates watermarked "J. Whatman/ Turkey Mill/ 1825." First published in 1824 in an oblong format under the title A Tour of Paris, beginning in 1822 with four parts with a total of 16 plates; the fifth part with the remaining five plates was issued in 1824. The present edition was issued shortly thereafter, with a new title and letterpress text reset to conform with an upright layout rather than oblong. "This edition is often cited as 1822-24, but, apart from a study of watermarks in a large number of copies, there seems to be no way of dating it… watermarks as late as 1833 are known" (Abbey). Abbey, Travel 114. Tooley 443, 444.

One plate with a neatly repaired closed marginal tear. Plates generally fine, hand-coloring vivid. A near-fine copy of this lovely illustrated volume.