Delineations of Fonthill and its Abbey

Charles Knight & Co., Shaftesbury, first edition, 1823,. Original printed boards, rebacked with cloth, folio,. xxvi, 127 pp, 13 plates (as called for) with one additional plate laid in, handcoloured frontispiece and title-page, folding plan, genealogical tables, text illustrations. A complete copy of Rutter's appealing and timely work on William Beckford's extraordinary creation at Fonthill Abbey : within just two years of the book's publication the Abbey's huge tower was to come crashing down leading to the demolition of the Abbey buildings shortly afterwards. This copy has all the "embellishments" listed by Rutter within the book, arranged as intended there, including the three coloured aquatints ( the frontispiece/plate VIII : Altar Piece, Plate VII: Interior of St Michael's Gallery and Plate VI : King Edward's Gallery), the 10 black-and-white plates and the folding plan "Fonthill Domain". Also present are the three genealogical tables and the List of subscribers. An additional coloured engraving by Stedman Whitwell "View of the Fountain Court within the Western Cloister" had been taped along one edge to the rear pastedown endpaper and the adhesion having been lost is now laid in. [Abbey, Scenery : 418] 19th century ownership signature of J Bailey on frontispiece and dedication page. Boards darkened, and rubbed with wear at corners, rebacked in cloth. Somewhat pulled and tears to prelims at hinges, contents generally clean and Good, plates sometimes showing light foxing (tissue-guards sometimes heavily foxed). Extreme page-edges sometimes duststained. Printed slip concerning catalogues of the Fonthill Sale tipped-in.