Twenty Four Subjects Exhibiting the Costume of Paris, With Scarce Title Page

J[ohn] J[ames] Chalon. TWENTY FOUR SUBJECTS EXHIBITING THE COSTUME OF PARIS, THE INCIDENTS TAKEN FROM NATURE. DESIGNED AND DRAWN ON STONE BY J.J. CHALON. London: Rodwell and Martin, 1822. Rebound in brown paper-covered boards. Large folio; with title page and (24) hand-colored lithographed plates by C. Hullmandel after Chalon. The title page is watermarked "J. Whatman 1822"; some plates watermarked the same or "J. Whatman 1821"; plates dated 1820-22. Hiler, p. 156.

19 7/8 x 13 7/8 in.

Bookplate of Richard Stamper Philpott, Prebendary of Wells, River House, Hammersmith.

John James Chalon (1778-1854) was a Swiss painter who spent his career in England and studied at the Royal Academy. While he was best known for his landscape paintings, these charming plates are an important part of his oeuvre for capturing scenes of daily Parisian life. According to Hiler, "The plates show people of various occupations, shoeblacks, venders, politicians, general scenes, etc."

Boards with light discoloration and scuffing, corners rubbed; joints with splitting starting at head and tail with resulting separation of portions of the backstrip, and rear joint with one small area of insect damage; small areas of cracking at hinges and slight separation of front free endpaper; wear to one of two bookplates; interior with scattered foxing, browning at edges, occasional offsetting, grime, and small stain, and handling wear such as creases, small folds, and edge tears; one plate with a repaired tear not impacting image; plates lightly numbered in pencil, some without watermark. A good copy with bright plates. Scarce; found in just a small number of libraries worldwide, per WorldCat at time of evaluation.