Shelfmark
Gi.3.13
Author
Title
Antiquities of Westminster; the old palace; St. Stephen's Chapel, (now the House of Commons) &c. &c. Containing two hundred and forty-six engravings of topographical objects, of which one hundred and twenty-two no longer remain. By John Thomas Smith. This work contains copies of manuscripts which throw new and unexpected light on the ancient history of the arts in England..
Varying form of title
Antiquities of the City of Westminster
Publication, distribution, etc.
London: : Printed by T. Bensley, Bolt Court, for J. T. Smith, 31, Castle Street East, Oxford Street, and sold by R. Ryan, 353, Oxford Street, near the Pantheon; and J. Manson, 10, Gerrard Street, Soho., June 9, 1807.
Physical description
[6], xv, [1], 276, [2] p., [38] leaves of plates : ill. (14 coloured), 2 plans ; 34 cm. (4to)
Note
Half-title: "Antiquities of the City of Westminster, &c. &c.".
Note
The final leaf, a list of plates, is sometimes bound before page [1] of the text.
Note
The text is largely by J. S. Hawkins. After a quarrel with Smith, however, the text was revised by Smith and others, and at Hawkins' request the original title-leaf and dedication were cancelled and a new title-leaf and advertisement, omitting Hawkins' name, substituted (thus a few early copies have Hawkins's name on the title-page). A pamphlet war followed, and Smith's "Vindication" (1807) was intended to be bound as a supplement to the present work. Another supplement, containing additional plates, was also published in parts by Smith between 1807 and 1809 (cf. Nash et al., 231).
Note
The plates were printed by John Dixon (see p. 276).
Note
"List of subscribers." pp. [273]-276.
Note
Wood-engravings in the text are by William and John Berryman (see p. 37).
Note
The plates were etched and engraved by the author, George Arnald, Joshua Bryant, Joseph Jeakes, Frederick Christian Lewis, Isaac Mills, Samuel Rawle, Richard Sawyer, "F. T. Smith" (probably an error for J. T. Smith) and W. J. White, after the author, Arnald, Bryant, Thomas Sandby, Nathaniel Smith and "Canaletti [i.e. Leonard Knyff?]".
Note
Plate [13] is a lithograph (probably the first such plate to be printed as an illustration to a British book) prepared by Smith and P. H. André, and shows the same image as plate [14] (an etching). The first 300 copies (of around 1000) to be printed include both plates, but the lithographic stone broke down at this point, and later copies omit plate [13]. Of the edition of around 1000 copies, some 400 were subsequently destroyed by a fire at Bensley's premises (see Nash et al., 231).
Note
Plates [22-30] and [32-36] are hand-coloured, and [34] and [35] are also heightened with gold.
Citation/references note
Nash, Paul W., Savage, Nicholas, et al., Early printed books 1478-1840: catalogue of the British Architectural Library Early Imprints Collection (London: Bowker-Saur/Saur, 1994-2003), 231
Citation/references note
Abbey, J. R. Scenery, 210
Citation/references note
Upcott, William, A bibliographical account of the principal works relating to English topography (3 vols, London, 1818, repr. 1978), pp. 835-839
Citation/references note
Adams, Bernard, London illustrated, 1604-1851 (London: Library Association, 1983), 98
Provenance
Ex dono label of Joseph Frederick Burrell, dated 1983, on front pastedown.
Binding
19th-century black calfskin on wood boards. Covers decorated with blind tools on the entire surface; bevels on all three margins; gilt fillets on board edges and turn-ins. Spine with six raised bands, decorated with blind tools, gilt fillets, dotted rolls, and titling ("Smith's antiquities of Westminster"; "London 1807."). Textblock trimmed and gilted. Endpapers of brown (pastedown and facing flyleaves) and undecorated paper; two flyleaves at both ends of the textblock.
Copy-specific note
The list of plates here appears before page [1] of the text.
Subject
Subject
Subject
Westminster (London, England) Antiquities.
Added entry--name
Dixon, John, active 1799 - 1836 printer.
Added entry--name
Added entry--name
Smith, John Thomas, 1766 - 1833 bookseller.
Added entry--name
Ryan, Richard, 1946 - ? bookseller.
Added entry--name
Manson, John, ? - -1812 bookseller.
Added entry--name
Added entry--name
Arnald, George, 1763 - 1841 artist.
Added entry--name
Added entry--name
André, Philipp H. lithographer.
Added entry--name
Burrell, Joseph Frederick, 1909 - 1983 former owner.
Added entry--place
England London.
Language code
eng
Identifier
B51157