Mountains and the Lakes, The

London: Messrs Ackermann & Co., 1845. The Exceptionally Rare First Issue with
Twenty Hand-Colored Lithograph Plates Mounted on Card

HERING, G[eorge].E[dwards]. The Mountains and the Lakes. Sketches in Switzerland, the Tyrol and Italy. London: Messrs. Ackermann & Co., [1845].

The true first edition (reissued by M.A. Nattali in 1847 with letterpress title and text).

Large folio (17 7/8 x 13 7/8 in; 453 x 352 mm). Hand-colored lithographed Title and Dedication, and eighteen hand-colored lithographed plates, all trimmed and mounted on card stock, loose as issued.

Publisher's black cloth chemised portfolio with black silk ties. Gilt lettered and decorated on front cover. Expertly rebacked and re-cornered. With an unidentified armorial bookplate and that of Dayton Art Institute. A very fine copy.

This is the true first edition, noted by Abbey but not seen by him; he catalogued the smaller, remaindered edition by Nattali issued in 1847 which measured 14 1/4 x 10 7/8 inches and is the commonly found issue. The edition under notice, however, is distinctly larger at 17 7/8 x 13 7/8 inches and is very scarce, with only five copies in institutional holdings worldwide (only two of which are in the United States) and a mere two copies at auction within the last thirty-six years.

"According to the English Catalogue the book was published by Ackermann in 1845 at £2.2s, and by Nattali in 1847 at 1.1s. It seems likely, therefore, that Ackermann published the plates, without text, in 1845, and that in 1847 Nattali, who was a remainder publisher, took over the sets of plates, added a text and republished the work as [The Mountains and Lakes of Switzerland, the Tyrol, and Italy. From Drawings made during a tour through those countries]" (Abbey).

George Edwards Hering (1805-1879) was an English landscape painter... At an early age he lost his father. Hering was at first placed as clerk in a bank, but was soon permitted by his family to adopt art as his profession. In 1829 he studied in the art school at Munich, and was patronised by Lord Erskine, who sent him with letters of introduction to Venice. After residing there for about two years, he traveled in Italy, and round the Adriatic to Constantinople, Smyrna, &c... While a resident at Rome, Hering, owing to his mixed origin, was able to bring together the somewhat rival colonies of German and English artists in that city. Finally he settled in London, where he practised as a landscape-painter for the rest of his life, paying occasional visits to Italy. His favourite subject was Italian scenery, in which he showed a free touch, careful finish, and bright, lucid colouring. He especially excelled in lake scenery" (Oxford DNB).

Tooley 260. Abbey, Travel 63. Cf. Bobins, 1042.