The New Newgate Calendar: Being Interesting Memoirs of Notorious Characters, Who have been convicted of Outrages on The Laws of England, during the seventeenth century, brought down to the present time. [5 Volumes]

J. & J. Cundee. Good with no dust jacket. c. 1813 - 1820. Hardcover. The Newgate Calendar is known as an early progenitor of the illustrated "True Crime" literary genre; as such it is an important early work of social and criminal history. The Warden of Newgate prison kept a "Calendar" of prisoners admitted and executions conducted. In the 18th century, broadsides and chapbooks were sold with stories of the crimes these prisoners committed, often with lurid details. These publications evolved into complete books and sets of books devoted to describing and analyzing the most notorious crimes and the confessions of the guilty, usually with moral overtones. Illustrations depicted the criminals, their crimes, torture, and ultimate punishments. The crimes in this set were chosen and the stories written by two attorneys, Andrew Knapp and William Baldwin. This is an early example of the illustrated "true crime" genre that continues even today. There is no date in this set, and I suspect this may have been the earliest printing of Knapp & Baldwin's Newgate Calendar. The publisher of this set was James Cundee (J. & J. Cundee), a London printer who flourished from 1805 - 1814 according to the British Museum (Worldcat identifies his works occuring between 1811 and 1820). I suspect that this J. Cundee edition was probably published circa 1813 - 1820 and predates the 1824 James Robins & Co. edition of this book which is more frequently encountered. Robins apparently was a successor to James Cundee at the Ivy Lane address, and both publishers operated the Albion Press which was founded by Cundee. Lending credence to the possible publication date for this undated edition is the fact that the last case in volume 5 involves a Luddite plot which occured in 1813 (and is a shorter version of the same case recounted in the 1824 edition). This undated edition's second to the last case (also recounted in the 1824 edition) includes an illustration of the Marquis of Sligo with the notation that it was published by "J & J Cundee Albion Press, 1813" (the illustration is not included in the 1824 edition). The story of the assassination case involving John Bellinham which occured in 1812 occupies 52 pages in the undated Cundee edition but only 12 p. in the 1824 Robins edition. Interestingly, the title page of vol 2 of this set gives the publisher as J. Robins & Co. Albion Press (with no date); it also includes an ad in the rear for a J. Cundee Albion Press book: Rapin's "History of England" (issued in 200 weekly parts). After acquiring the Albion Press, Robins may have printed additional copies of any volumes needed to complete and sell titles in his newly aquired invetory. (The British Musuem identifies James Robins with the Albion Press between 1819 - 1820.) Gary Kelly's "Newgate Narratives" indicates Knapp & Baldwin's "New Newgate Calendar" was printed between 1809 and 1813, "apparently issued in 100, 24-page to 32-page parts." The 1813 date seems to coincide with my assessment of the printing history of this work. There is some scattered foxing, especially to illustrations (some more than others), but most pages are generally clear, and all are easily read. The books are bound in brown leather with raised spine bands and marbled boards, marbled end papers, and all edges are marbled. The leather is worn, and two spine lables are missing. All joints are holding, but two are partially split on volumes 1 and 3. Previous owner's book plate in all volumes. Pagination: v. 1: 559 p. + 2 p. ads & index; v. 2: 544 p. + index; v. 3: 560 p. + index; v. 4: 511 p. + index; v. 5: 552 p. + index. Last page in volume 4 has "Directions to Binder" for placing illustrations in proper place. ; B&W Illustrations; 8vo, 8"- 9" tall .