c1870 Mr. Sponge's Sporting Tour

Description

Colour Plates, Illustrated, Publishers' Original Binding

‘Mr Sponge’s Sporting Tour’ follows the adventures of a grocer who becomes the Master of Fox Hounds, a comical social commentary of sporting life in the country.

Illustrated with a hand-coloured frontispiece, hand-coloured vignette title, twelve hand coloured plates, and in-text wood engravings.

Collated, complete.

Robert Smith Surtees was a popular sporting writer, beginning his writing career by contributing to the ‘Sporting Magazine’. His best novel is often considered to be ‘Mr Sponge’s Sporting Tour’, with his hero, Soapey Sponge, being as popular as his comic character Jorrocks, featured in numerous novels, including ‘Handley Cross’. His comical novels are engaging and witty, with his writing style and character sometimes being compared to Charles Dickens.

Illustrated by John Leech, a caricaturist best known for his work for 'Punch'. His scathing portrayal of current events led to a great popularity of his work. He also illustrated edition of Charles Dickens' works.

Undated, dated from copies on Copac held at the National Trust, and also by the publisher's address; Bradbury, Agnew & Co were based at 8, 9, 10 Bouverie St around 1867 to 1873, based on information from the British Library.