Samson

05696 — London: S. W. Fores 1800. The Rarest Woodward of All<br /> London Is No Place To Be In The Summer<br /> <br /> WOODWARD George Moutard designer. SANSON Francis engraver. Every Body Out Of Town exemplified in six characteristic prints and illustrative labels with Every Body In Town exemplified in six characteristic prints and illustrative labels. London: S.W. Fores 1800. <br /> <br /> Second editions originally published by Woodward himself in 1794/1796. Quarto 10 1/8 x 8 3/8 in; 259 x 213 mm. Twelve hand-colored engraved plates 9 x 7 1/2 in; 297 x 192 mm two hand-colored engraved title-pages each imprinted Feb. 14 1800 and mounted on fourteen quarto sheets 133/4 x 18 1/4 in; 349 x 470 mm of various colors. Four blank leaves at rear folded blank quarto sheet inserted in rear pocket. <br /> <br /> Bound in contemporary full maroon morocco with double gilt fillets enclosing extravagantly blindstamped covers with an outer frame of floral and foliate motifs volutes curls with bacchants along lower edge an inner rolled frame and a central panel with center lozenge within an elaborately blocked medallion. Pocket to rear cover. Astonishingly bright clean and very fine. Housed in a felt-lined half maroon morocco over gray cloth clamshell case spine with five raised bands ruled and lettered in gilt in compartments.<br /> <br /> OCLC records one copy of the 1800 edition of Every Body Out of Town and only two copies of the 1800 edition of Every Body In Town in institutional holdings worldwide. Not found in the British Museum's collection of satirical prints. According to the ABPC Index the last time either title came to auction was in 1942 Every Body Out of Town 1800 and 1923 Every Body In Town 1800. <br /> <br /> These 1800 reprints are rarer than the original issues. They are also larger than the 1794-1796 first issues which measured only 7 7/8 x 6 5/8 inches 200 x 170 mm.<br /> <br /> Of George Murgatroyd Woodward 1760-1809 caricaturist and author the DNB notes that he "later known as Mustard George grew up in a Derbyshire town living with his father and to judge by the evidence of his later writings received a sound education. He took early to caricature ridiculing his neighbours in Derbyshire; a folio of these drawings dated 1781 is in the Derby Local Studies Library among a sizable collection of his prints drawings and book illustrations. His caricatures having caused something of a local stir he persuaded his father to let him seek his fortune in London.<br /> <br /> "Apart from two caricature prints dated 1785 designed by Woodward and published by him from 28 Cary Street Lincoln's Inn London it was not until 1790 that he made an impact on the London scene. Thereafter his output was copious. The British Museum catalogues list 525 examples of his work from the next twenty years published by Holland Fores Ackermann and latterly Tegg all leading printsellers. These prints designed by Woodward are etched by others-Rowlandson who was his friend and drinking companion Isaac Cruikshank Roberts and Williams. Woodward's original drawings are vigorous. and his value lay in his humorous ideas.<br /> <br /> "Woodward.might have rivalled Hogarth. Certainly his collaboration with Rowlandson constituted a lively if frivolous commentary on the social scene. Dorothy George described him as 'original prolific varied humorous and good-humoured' and few students of the subject would dispute her conclusion that his death was 'a loss to caricature' George English Political Caricature 1.174" Simon Heneage 'Woodward George Murgatroyd 1760-1809 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press 2004.<br /> <br /> Etcher and engraver Francis Sanson was active 1784-1799.<br /> <br /> Bobins IV 1365; Gordon Library BC28 BC29; Not in Abbey or Tooley. London: S. W. Fores, 1800 unknown