Life in London; Or The Day and Night Scenes of Jerry Hawthorn Esq. and his Elegant Friend Corinthian Tom Accompanied by Bob Logic the Oxonian in their Rambles and Sprees Through the Metropolis
1822ref. 46London: Sherwood Neely and Jones 1822. Second Edition. Near fine. Isaac Robert Cruikshank & George Cruikshank. Tall 8vo 9 1/4 x 5 3/4 inches 234 x 148 mm; half-title hand-colored frontispiece title with vignette of St. Paul's xvi 376 pp 8 pp. advertisements. 3 foldout pages of music with Corinthian Tom's Song. 36 aquatint plates with hand-coloring each with protective blank sheet with offset from facing illustration; copious small in-text woodcuts. Later full red pebbled morocco with original spine panel single gilt fillet framing on boards gilt turn-ins marbled endpapers double raised bands with gilt and decorative motifs in compartments all edges gilt; spine very lightly rubbed. Second edition as stated at the foot of page 9. Tooley 198; Prideaux 335. A beautifully illustrated and hand-colored volume. Pierce Egan 1772-1849 was a British journalist sportswriter and writer on popular culture best-knows work is Life in London first published in 1821. The book was adapted into the stage play Tom and Jerry or Life in London later that year and it became the first play to have a continuous run of 100 performances in London while at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End. Egan turned to the Cruikshank brothers Robert and George for the illustrations. They produced 21 woodcuts and 36 lively and colorful plates to represent the range of characters and situations described in the book. The success of Life in London was so great that the artists could not color the engravings quickly enough for the demand. The book was adapted for the stage later that year and the play Tom and Jerry or Life in London became the first play to have a continuous run of 100 performances in London while at the Adelphi Theatre in the West End. The book was reprinted in 1822 1823 1830 1841 1870 and 1904. Numerous imitations soon appeared namely Carey's Life in Paris Real Life in London Real Life in Ireland et al. Sherwood, Neely, and Jones unknown
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