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PETER CUNNINGHAM
The Story of Nell Gwyn: and the Sayings of Charles the Second
1852 First Edition • 20 Added Engravings • Signed Pomey Full Morocco Leather Binding • Sidney A. Kirkman Provenance
London: Bradbury & Evans, 11 Bouverie Street, 1852.
A handsomely bound first edition, enriched with 20 additional engraved portraits and historical plates, in full dark brown morocco leather signed “POMEY REL.” With the engraved armorial bookplate of American bibliophile Sidney A. Kirkman.
Cunningham’s account of Nell Gwyn and the court of Charles II combines theatrical history, Restoration biography, and royal anecdote. Originally published in The Gentleman’s Magazine in 1851, the work first appeared in book form in this edition, which the author described as “corrected throughout and enlarged.”
THE POMEY BINDING
Full dark brown morocco leather, the covers decorated with multiple gilt fillets and a beaded gilt border enclosing a shaped central panel, with elaborate foliate arabesques at its corners.
The spine has five raised bands, gilt lettering, and richly decorated compartments incorporating floral devices and corner ornaments. Broad turn-ins are tooled in gilt with ornamental rolls and fillets. Marbled pastedowns and free endpapers in green, brown, red, tan, and black. All edges gilt.
Signed in gilt “POMEY REL.” on the lower front turn-in.
The spine is dated 1851, while the printed title page bears the correct publication date of volume contains 20 added engravings, including eighteenth-century portraits, a hand-colored portrait of Nell Gwyn, and a large early portrait of Charles II. Smaller prints are mounted on inserted leaves; larger examples are bound in directly.
The added plates comprise:
Charles II: large engraved portrait within a laurel oval, with crowned royal arms and the Garter below; Latin inscription and engraved “Page 1.”
Nell Gwyn: hand-colored stipple portrait, S. Harding del.; published by E. & S. Harding, Pall Mall, 1795.
Sir Thomas More: engraved by S. Freeman after Holbein.
William Shakespeare: small mounted portrait with theatrical attributes.
John Dennis: engraved by Clamp; published by E. & S. Harding, 1793.
Prince Rupert of the Rhine: published by W. Richardson, 1798; on thin paper.
John Dryden: William Darton, 1822.
John Milton: William Darton, 1822.
Mary Robinson (“Perdita”): European Magazine portrait, engraved by J. Condé, 1792.
Gilbert Burnet, Bishop of Salisbury: large engraved portrait.
John Mordaunt, 1st Viscount Mordaunt: heraldic portrait, published by W. Richardson, 1796.
David Hume: small mounted oval portrait, apparently engraved by Ridley.
Oliver Cromwell: William Darton, 1822.
Sir Matthew Hale: engraved by J. W. Cook.
William II, Prince of Orange: full-length portrait incorporating a battle scene.
Unidentified female portrait: engraved by Thomas Wright.
Anna Scott, Duchess of Monmouth and Buccleuch: engraved by Edward Scriven after Willem Wissing, 1810.
Unidentified female portrait: engraved by J. Thomson.
Louise de Kéroualle, Duchess of Portsmouth: engraved by Ceroni after Jean Petitot.
Unidentified female portrait: engraved by Thomas Wright.
The portraits are inserted in relation to figures discussed in the text, bringing an additional visual dimension to Cunningham’s account. The three unidentified female portraits are included in the total of 20 added plates.
PROVENANCE
Engraved armorial bookplate of Sidney A. Kirkman on the front pastedown.
An example of Kirkman’s bookplate is catalogued in the University of Delaware’s William Augustus Brewer Bookplate Collection, attributed to Arthur Nelson Macdonald and dated approximately 1905.
Kirkman was president of Kirkman & Son, soap manufacturers, and a former director of the Corn Exchange Bank. His 1953 New York Times obituary described him as a noted bibliophile.
CONDITION
A handsome, well-preserved copy, with bright gilt decoration. Light rubbing to the joints, raised bands, and extremities, with minor wear at the spine ends and board edges. Boards firmly attached.
Marbled pastedowns and endpapers remain attractive. Kirkman bookplate to the front pastedown; pencil notation on a preliminary blank identifying the Pomey binding and extra-illustration.
Text generally clean, with occasional light toning, spotting, and offsetting. Added engravings vary in paper stock, dimensions, and age, with occasional foxing and handling wear. Several smaller prints are mounted on inserted leaves. Minor rubbing to the gilt page edges.
Please examine the photographs as part of the condition description.
An attractive combination of Restoration history, collected portrait engravings, signed French fine binding, and documented bibliophile provenance.
