J S Prout — Antiquities of Chester

London, Ackermann and Co. 1839. First edition. Leather. A scarce first edition of this collection of illustrated plates of picturesque scenes of Chester. Includes an autographed letter dated to 1839 from the author requesting the recipient's permission to include their name in the dedication of the book and suggesting that this book is a specimen copy sent for their review before publishing. Twenty Illustrated plates and three loose illustrations cut from a book on old England. John Skinner Prout also produced illustrated works of Sydney, Australia where he lived for four years and Picturesque Antiquities of Bristol which is referenced in the letter. He is the nephew of the famous Samuel Prout, a master of British watercolour, architectural painting. Scenes depicted in the illustrations include, The Ladye Chapel, The Cloisters, The Falcon Inn, The Old Palace at Watergate and the entrance to the water tower on the Walls. In a morocco binding with cloth covered boards and blindstamped detailing to boards. Externally, sound with marks to boards and bumping to corners. Backstrip lifting with close tears and loss. Rubbing to spine and bumping to edges of rear board. Internally, firmly bound with foxing to first and last couple of pages and light foxing to edges of plates. Good . Ill.: None. Good .