Main entry:

Coney, John, 1786-1833.

Title & Author:

A series of fifty six etchings, consisting of architectural sketches, civil and ecclesiastical, in France, the Netherlands, Germany & Italy / engraved by the late John Coney, from his own drawings ...

Publication:

London : Published by B.B. King [Ackermann, Weale and John Williams] ... , [1835?]

Description:

litho. t.-pl., [14] litho. plates ; 30.6 cm (2)̲

Notes:
Lithographed throughout. The title is taken from the title-plate. The work was originally published in 1833, and was reprinted in the present form in late 1834 or 1835 (see Notes below). The publisher's wrappers bear the title 'Fifty-Six Architectural Sketches ... ' and the imprint of B.B. King, Ackermann, Weale and John Williams.
: This work was a byproduct of John Coney's Architectural beauties of continental Europe (1831-[1833]; No. 693), although probably not one planned by Coney himself. The artist died in 1833, and in the same year the publishers Harding and King took the opportunity to issue the 56 small etched vignettes which had illustrated the letterpress as a separate publication. These figures had originally been etched in groups of four and, for the larger work, were printed on india paper and separated to be pasted to the letterpress leaves. The first separate edition of the present work consisted of 56 octavo leaves, each with one of the etched images pasted to the recto, covered by a letterpress title-leaf attributing the work to 'The Late John Coney' and bearing the imprint of Harding and King dated 1833 (see the copy at the National Art Library, 34.C.23). Indeed, it is possible that Harding and King did not need to reprint the coppers, and may simply have been issuing impressions on india paper that had been made for Coney's Architectural beauties but not yet issued. Harding died or retired in early 1834, at which time B.B. King took over the work, and offered it in his catalogue of October 1834 (No. 3949) at 'Price 12s. on India Paper'. After 1833 King also published his own issue of Architectural beauties (see No. 3805 above). For some reason, perhaps because of the success or failure of the etched version of the present work - both interpretations are possible - King decided to produce a cheap reprint of the same publication by having the images on the 14 original copperplates transferred to lithographic stones (see Plates above). He also had a new quarto title-plate, incorporating one of the original views, prepared for lithographic printing. This is the form of the work held by the BAL (another copy is held by the National Art Library, 34.F.48). The BAL copy retains the upper wrapper in which the work was published. This is printed with the title 'Fifty-Six Architectural Sketches In France, The Netherlands, Germany, And Italy. Engraved By The Late John Coney, From His Own Drawings, Taken On The Spot.' above a large wood-engraved vignette view, also used on the titlepage of Coney's Architectural beauties (No. 693). The imprint reads 'London: Published By B.B. King, Monument Yard; Ackermann & Co. Strand; Sold Also By Weale (Late Taylor) Architectural Library, High Holborn; And C. [i.e. John] Williams, Library Of Fine Arts, Charles Street, Soho. Price Five Shillings.' Ackermann and Company were so-styled from 1834, this form of Weale's name appears to have been used only in late 1834 and 1835 (see Nos 437, 1247, 1248, 1427, 1621, 2149, 3778 and the Notes to No. 3557), and Williams had moved to Great Russell Street by 1838. King himself began a collaboration with A.H. Baily in 1836 (see No. 3949). Thus, this cheaper lithographic version of the work was almost certainly published hot on the heels of the intaglio volume, probably in 1835. It is likely that the original etchings continued to be made available by King at the same time.

Subject:

Architecture Details Pictorial works.
Architecture Europe Pictorial works.
Architecture Détails Ouvrages illustrés.
Architecture Europe Ouvrages illustrés.
Architecture details Cathedrals Public buildings Fountains France Netherlands Italy Germany

Holdings:

Location: Library main 126542
Call No.: W4767
Status: Available