Heading: -1836
Author: Walton, Izaak & Charles Cotton
Title: The Complete Angler or the Contemplative Man's Recreation, Being a Discourse of Rivers, Fish-Ponds, Fish and Fishing Written by Izaak Walton and Instructions How to Angle for a Trout or Grayling in a Clear Stream by Charles Cotton, with Original Memoirs and Notes by Sir Harris Nicolas
Place Published: London
Publisher:William Pickering
Date Published: 1836
Description:

2 volumes. [16], ccxii, [2], 129; [4], [131]-436, [32 (index)] pp. Illustrated with 61 engraved plates (mostly steel and including vignettes and headpieces) from designs by Thomas Stothard and J. Inskipp, 14 of which are full-page (including the frontispiece portrait in Volume I); printed on Whatman paper by Charles Whittingham. Also, a music score for The Angler‘s Song (in Volume II). (Large 8vo) 27x18 cm (10¾x7"), full dark green levant morocco, covers and spines decoratively tooled and bordered in gilt, spines lettered in gilt, raised bands, gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt; bound by Hayday. First Nicolas Edition, text follows the fifth edition.

A large-paper copy, with illustrations on India paper, mounted. The superbly illustrated Nicolas edition, which follows the fifth edition, containing variations of text from the four previous editions, as seen in the footnote of each page. "It has been the occasion for much extravagant admiration. The author of the Grolier Club checklist is moved to the extent that ‘no finer edition of the Complete Angler will ever be published.‘ The illustrations have been admired and frequently copied" - Oliver. "One of the handsomest publications of modern times...an ornament to the angler‘s library" - Westwood Chronicle; Oliver, 41; Coigney 44; Keynes, p. 94; Westwood & Satchell, p. 28.

Spines a bit sunned, lightly rubbed, early owner's name on endpaper; light foxing; very good.