An album of hand-coloured lithographs, most relating to Field Sports

SPORTING Prints. - G. DAVIES and Adam EAST (inter alia, lithographers).

An album of hand-coloured lithographs, most relating to Field Sports.[No place of publication given, but certainly England: undated but album with 1833 watermarks and manuscript entries dated '1837'].

Small 8vo (7 ¼ x 4 5/8 inches; 184 x 118mm). 58 leaves of variously-coloured paper, containing 23 hand-coloured plates (approx. 3 ½ x 7 inches and smaller, 2 signed 'G. Davies', 4 signed 'Adam East', the others unsigned), loosely mounted. 5 pp. of manuscript entries (anecdotes and poetry, three different hands 'J.S.', 'M.S.' (Byethorn  July 1837), and  'J.W.D').

Contemporary highly decorated green morocco, covers with overall impressed 'plaque' decoration in blind, the flat spine similarly decorated in blind, with the word 'Album' in gilt close to the head of the spine, gilt edges.

Condition: contents light signs of old dampstaining, one plate with surface damage (see images); binding with signs of scuffing to extremities, indented area to upper joint, small repaired split to lower joint, two small areas of restoration to lower cover (see images).

A charming small scale gem, with some very attractive lithographs.

The Victoria and Albert Museum have one other example of Adam East's work (a similar subject) - it may be that he was an amateur with no need to make a living from a medium that he had clearly mastered. There was a 'G. Davies' who was active at about this time, but it is not clear if this is the same person. The subjects include hare coursing, fox hunting, pheasant shooting, fallow deer, cattle, grouse, duck, and rabbits.