Here and There over the Water: Being Cullings in a Trip to the Netherlands. (The Field of Battle and Monuments - Waterloo, &c.) by Omnium Gatherum.
London: George Hunt, 1825. 4to; 10 x 8 3/8 in. (253 x 212 mm); (2), 34 pp, 28 plates by George Hunt after M. Egerton, including 24 hand-colored engraved and aquatint plates and four plates (21-24) of Waterloo memorials uncolored. Modern half morocco binding, title gilt, spine sunned. Occasional offsetting from plates, otherwise a fine copy.
[Abbey Travel 188; Tooley 207].
An uncommon aquatint work, illustrating a regency excursion to the Low Countries. Egerton was a humorous designer and social satirist active in London between 1820 and 1829, who supplied drawings to members of the print trade (including the Hunts and Pyall) for engraving. For this project he begins his tour at Ostend, where he was stuck for a day as it was a Sunday. He took time to describe the people's custom-house hotel and the 'Purgatory Gate' attached to the church (destroyed in a fire later in the nineteenth century) before traveling the next day by 'Great Coach' and barge to Ghent, observing the 'Belgic Military' various 'Diligences' and peasant costumes before continuing onto Brussels. Here he examined the Market Pavilion of the Prince of Orange before traveling on the next leg of the journey, which takes the artist once more to Ghent, where he describes and illustrates the Exchange. Egerton then returns to Brussels to view the Palace of Schoonenberg and then on to the main reason for his excursion: a trip to Waterloo, taking in all the main sites of the battle, including graves and monuments. Michael Egerton flourished between 1821 and 1828 and produced a number of caricatures, mainly of social comedy, sporting scenes, and jokes on the weather; almost all his work was engraved by George Hunt. OCLC records six copies in North America at Harvard Yale New York Public Library, Brown Claremont College, and the Art Institute of Chicago.
"A tourist (Egerton) soars high above birds and the Channel, a vignetted strip of water which a steam-packet and sailing vessel are traversing. He is propelled by steam from a big Patent kettle strapped to his back; from a large spout in the form of a bird's head black smoke drifts behind him. He holds out in his right hand a pair of lazy-tongs, in his left he holds up a plaid travelling-bag marked O.G. He wears a round flat peaked cap, with fashionable white cuffs and collar to his shirt, and white strapped trousers. His legs drift behind him." [The British Museum, number A tourist (Egerton) soars high above birds and the Channel, a vignetted strip of water which a steam-packet and sailing vessel are traversing. He is propelled by steam from a big Patent kettle strapped to his back; from a large spout in the form of a bird's head black smoke drifts behind him. He holds out in his right hand a pair of lazy-tongs, in his left he holds up a plaid travelling-bag marked O.G. He wears a round flat peaked cap, with fashionable white cuffs and collar to his shirt, and white strapped trousers. His legs drift behind him.]
Plates in order: 1. Frontis. Patent. [Flying over the Channel]. 2. Quay, Custom House & Hotel - Ostend. 3. The Purgatory Gate, Ostend. 4. Post Office - Ostend. 5. [Dandy chimney sweeper & Merrymaking party]. 6. The Great Coach. 7. Trekschuit or Barge. 8. Military - Ghent. 9. Diligences. Starting from the Messageries - Ghent. 10. Peasants in the Neighbourhood of Brussells. 11. Market - Brussels. 12. Pavillion of the Prince of Orange at Terrevueren. 13. Peasants &c near Antwerp. 14. Exchange at Antwerp. 15. A Bird's Eye. 16. Palace of Schoonenberg near Brussels. 17. Cottage - Waterloo. 18. [Tomb & Tree]. 19. Tombs in the Burial Ground of Waterloo Church. 20. Church & Village of Waterloo. 21. Monuments - Field of Waterloo. 22. Ruins of Chateau de Goumont. 23. La Belle Alliance. 24. [Similar to Frontis - returning across the Channel].
Condition: Near fine.
Item number: 574
Price: $3,600.00
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