[GOSDEN, THOMAS]
Impressions of a series of animals, birds, &c. illustrative of British field sports from a set of silver buttons... London: Printed for J.H. Burn and R. and S. Prowett, 1821. First edition, on fine paper. Bound in contemporary brown russia over boards, by Thomas Gosden (lacking his ticket but with his characteristic emblematic tools). Both upper and lower covers are tooled with sixteen emblems in gilt, each on a circular medallion blocked in blind, arranged in a panel against a blind-tooled grape-leaf motif, surrounded by rules in gilt. The covers are framed with a palmette border in blind, and an arabesque border in gilt. The spine has four false bands, tooled in gilt with stags and hawks, label in black in the second compartment. The endpapers are dark pink paper, as generally used by Gosden. 9 1/2 inches (23.5 cm), all edges gilt, the binding 9 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches (24 cm x 16 cm). 17 leaves (including engraved and printed title), including 16 buttons on 14 leaves, plus two extra advertisement leaves at the rear. Front board detached, rear joint cracked but holding on the hinge, a short crack and some rubbing to head and tail of spine and board edges.
Thomas Gosden, who described himself as a "Bookbinder, Publisher, and Bookseller," produced some of the most curious and interesting bindings of the period, and his work has always been sought after by sporting collectors. He wrote the introductory advertisment to the Impressions; the text accompanying the engravings comes from Bewick and Daniel. The buttons are printed on tissue, laid down within elaborate wood-engraved frames and borders. Provenance: Hayne Esq. (old ink notation on endpaper); William Loring Andrews, one of the Grolier Club founding members, with his bookplate; and David Wagstaff, with his leather label. A similarly bound copy sold in the Schiff sporting sale (though on green paper).