"SCENES OF ROMANTIC BEAUTY AND SUBJECTS OF THE DEEPEST HISTORICAL INTEREST": SCOTLAND ILLUSTRATED, HANDSOMELY BOUND

(SCOTLAND) BEATTIE, William. Scotland Illustrated in a Series of Views Taken Expressly for This Work. London: Virtue & Co., circa 1860. Two volumes bound in one. Thick quarto, contemporary full dark brown pebbled morocco gilt, raised bands, marbled endpapers, all edges gilt.

Early edition of this magnificent illustrated history of Scotland, with map, engraved vignette title pages, and 118 lovely steel-engraved plates after Bartlett, Allom and M'Culloch, including scenes from Scottish history. Handsomely bound in contemporary morocco-gilt by the Edinburgh bindery Seton & Mackenzie.

William Beattie wrote "a series of descriptive and historical works, beautifully illustrated by his friend and fellow traveler, the well-known W.H. Bartlett" (DNB)—including Scotland Illustrated, for which the British landscape painter produced an illustrated title page and 19 plates. William Henry Bartlett was instrumental in satisfying the current public demand for panoramic views of foreign places. The steel-engravings for Scotland Illustrated were made from sepia wash drawings executed by Bartlett in the exact size to be engraved, as was his practice. From the beginning of his career, Bartlett was encouraged to take artistic journeys, first throughout the British Isles, then on the Continent, and eventually to the Middle East, Asia Minor, the United States and Canada. An extremely popular work upon publication, Scotland Illustrated passed through several editions, and "elicited the acknowledgment from its publisher, Mr. Virtue, 'that the prosperity he had attained was mainly owing to Dr. Beattie's literary assistance'" (DNB). Provides historical, scientific, and popular information about counties, cities, and well-known landmarks in Scotland. First published in 1838 by George Virtue; Virtue's son James took over the firm in 1855. The binder of this volume, Seton & Mackenzie, came into existence in Edinburgh in 1856. This copy bound in one volume, complete with title pages and engraved extra title pages for both volumes bound in.

Only infrequent light foxing, corners gently rubbed. A lovely illustrated volume on Scotland, in a Scottish binding, in near-fine condition.