The Complete Works of William Hogarth, in a Series of One Hundred and Fifty Steel Engravings, James Hannay, London Printing and Publishing Company

This late Victorian edition of The Complete Works of William Hogarth presents the artist’s celebrated oeuvre in 150 finely detailed steel engravings, reproduced from his original paintings. Accompanied by an introductory essay by James Hannay and extensive descriptive commentary by the Rev. J. Trusler and E. F. Roberts, the volume offers both visual richness and contextual interpretation. The London Printing and Publishing Company, active in the mid-to-late 19th century, produced this edition around c.1875, based on stylistic features.

The Complete Works of William Hogarth in a Series of One Hundred and Fifty Steel Engravings, from the Original Pictures. With an Introductory Essay, by James Hannay,; and Descriptive Letterpress, by the Rev. J. Trusler, and E. F. Roberts. 

Published by The London Printing and Publishing Company, Limited, London and New York. Undated, but c. 1875.

A good (plus) burgundy cloth hardback with leather spine and corners, gilt decoration, and raised bands to gilt tooled spine. Leather rubbed to extremities and joints. Some wear and bumping, and sunned areas to cloth. Endpapers in feathered marble design - some cracking at hinges, but all holding. Slight skew to spine.

Some spotting to end papers and a few leaves at the rear, and the tissue guard at the frontispiece is heavily spotted. The text is generally lovely and clean and the plates clear and bright with beautiful, detailed engravings. Some offsetting opposite the darker parts of images, as is not unexpected. Occasional age-related minor flaw. Gilt edges to text block.

Frontispiece + tissue guard + half title + title + (2) Contents + xviii + 'Works' vignette title + 201pp + 151 Plates.

Weight - A substantial Volume weighing approximately 3.24kg unpacked.

Dimensions - The volume is approximately 311mm high x 241mm wide x 60mm deep.