Clubs

Sm. 8vo., First Edition, with an engraved portrait frontispiece after Eckstein, engraved and printed titles (the former by Heath) and a folding plate containing twenty-two humorous depictions of London's 'tavern clubs', frontispiece, engraved title and folding plate very lightly damp-marked; mid-nineteenth century half morocco, marbled boards, gilt back, marbled edges, marbled endpapers, covers a little age-marked, corners lightly bruised, very neatly rebacked with old backstrip laid down and original endpapers preserved, a very good, tight copy of a very scarce work. The frontispiece portrays Christopher Brown, Secretary to the 'Free & Easy Counsellors under the Cauliflower' who were predominantly (and most appropriately) booksellers. The folding plate affords us such delights as 'The Belle Sauvage', 'The Tanner of Joppa' and 'George and the Dragon'. Even then, it seems, the tavern was a haven of tranquillity for the hard-pressed professional male. SCARCE. We can trace no other edition, though a popular work with the title 'Tavern Anecdotes and Sayings' was compiled for Charles Hindley and issued in several editions during the 70s and 80s.