Travelling Sketches on the Rhine, and in Belgium and Holland

London: Longman, Rees, Orme, Brown, Green, and Longman, 1833 . First edition. Cloth. Good. 8.5" by 5.5". Clarkson Stanfield . The first edition, first impression of the travelogue of the Rhine, Belgium and Holland by Leitch Ritchie, scarcer to find in the stand alone edition. The first edition of this travel work by Leitch Ritchie, Scottish novelist and journalist. In this volume, he explores the region of the Rhine, as well as Belgium and Holland, sharing his experiences and drawing some sketches of each area, with details on the traditions of Baden, banks of the Main, 'the robbers of the Rhine,' and more. This volume is more commonly found in the more attractive publisher's full straight grain morocco binding, part of the 'Heath's Picturesque Annual' series commissioned by the publisher and engraver Charles Heath, running from 1832-45. Scarcer thus in the original publisher's quarter cloth binding, with the original spine title label and lacking the 'Heath's Picturesque Annual' engraved title page, which Jisc notes was added later, and matching in pagination and number of plates. Illustrated with twenty five lovely full page plates by Clarkson Stanfield. Collated, complete. Bound without the engraved title page, as called for with this edition. From the library at Julian Park, Hertfordshire, belonging to Audrey Pleydell-Bouverie (1902-1968). Audrey was the youngest daughter of an Anglo-American lumber and steel millionaire, sister to Edward James, a key figure in the Surrealist movement, and the illegitimate granddaughter of King Edward VII. Her passion for literature is displayed by her impressive library.She was an English socialite known for her beauty and for charming various wealthy men, she was included in The Book of Beauty by Cecil Beaton. A patron of the arts, she assisted Viscount Carlow financially in the publication of limited editions of numerous works by leading literary figures such as T E Lawrence, James Joyce, Wyndham Lewis, and others. A hedonistic pursuer, she was recognised as one of the 'Bright Young Things'.  In the original publisher's quarter cloth binding over paper covered boards. Externally sound with some shelf wear and bumping to the head and tail of the spine and extremities, some rubbing to the boards and spine. Some cocking to the spine. With a minor loss to the upper right margin of pp. 141-144, not affecting the text. Internally, firmly bound. With a minor faint spotting affecting the occasional leaf, particularly to the leaves of plates, otherwise the pages are generally bright and clean throughout. Illustrated with twenty five lovely full page plates by Clarkson Stanfield, protected by tissue guards. lacking one tissue guard to one plate, that protecting the frontispiece with minor chipping. Collated, complete without the engraved title page, as called for to this edition. Good