Life of a Soldier, The

London: William Sams, 1823. Rarely Found in the Original Boards

HEATH, William. The Life of a Soldier. A Narrative and Descriptive Poem. With Eighteen Engravings by William Heath.. London: William Sams, 1823.

First edition. Quarto (10 1/2 x 7 5/8 in; 268 x 195 mm). [8, incl. half-title], 150, [2, adv.] pp. Eighteen hand-colored untitled aquatint engravings.

Original pictorially lithographed boards, rebacked. Joints starting yet firm, boards a little rubbed and marked, still an excellent copy. Chemised in a red cloth jacket within a full red morocco pull-off case.

One of the better imitations of The Military Adventures of Johnny Newcome (1815).

"Watercolourist and caricaturist William Heath (1795-1840)...worked mostly under the pseudonym of Paul Pry. He called himself 'Portrait and Military painter' and was reputed to be an 'ex-captain of dragoons' but is not recorded in the Army List. Heath began life as a draughtsman and his main claim to fame rests on his having produced the first caricature magazine in Europe, The Glasgow later Northern Looking-Glass, 1825-1826. Although this was a provincial work and without much text, it does pre-date Charles Philipon's similar publication. The height of his popularity fell between the years 1809-34, after which his humour was displaced by that of Robert Seymour and John Doyle" (Houfe, p. 338).

Abbey, Life 361; Tooley 257; Ogilby, British Military Costume Prints, 415; Priddeaux, p. 340.