PICTORIAL DOCUMENTATION OF THE BRITISH NAVY’S DEFEAT OF NAPOLEON: THE NAVAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF GREAT BRITAIN, 1793-1817, WITH 55 SPLENDID LARGE HAND-COLORED FOLIO AQUATINTS

JENKINS, James. The Naval Achievements of Great Britain, from the Year 1793 to 1817. London: J. Jenkins, [1817]. Folio (11 by 14 inches), contemporary full burgundy straight-grain morocco gilt, all edges gilt. $15,000.

First edition, early issue, of this dramatically illustrated record of British naval action during the Napoleonic Wars, with vignette title page and 55 vividly hand-colored aquatints of battle scenes by Thomas Sutherland after drawings by William Heath. A beautiful production in attractive contemporary morocco-gilt.

"As a record of naval events spanning a period of over 20 years Jenkins' Naval Achievements has no precedent. At no time prior to 1817 had a publisher attempted such a complete volume of documentary naval prints. It is the quality of the accuracy which makes Jenkins so valuable above all" (Roger Quarm, National Maritime Museum). Jenkins' work "is worthy of its theme; nor could one desire a finer record of heroic deeds" (Prideaux, 224). Scenes include "The Destruction of the French Fleet at Toulon, Dec. 18th 1793," "Lord Howe's Victory," "Battle of the Nile" (two plates), "Battle of Trafalgar" (three plates) and "Bombardment of Algiers." Each plate is accompanied by text describing the action, often with lists of ships captured or sunk, and excerpts from contemporary bulletins, dispatches, letters and speeches. "It is becoming increasingly uncommon" (Tooley). The aquatint engraver Thomas Sutherland was known for his sporting prints of horses, coaches and hunting scenes after Henry Alken and others. The plates for Jenkins' Naval Achievements were reprinted several times: this early-issue copy has most watermarks from 1812 and 1816, as in the first issue, but seven of the plates have later watermarks, from either 1818 or 1820; the vignette title page is uncolored (it was colored in later issues). Without portraits of Nelson and Lord St. Vincent, as often—"the work is complete without them" (Tooley). Without list of subscribers. Tooley 282. Abbey, Life 337. Prideaux, 341.

Plates fine, hand-coloring vivid; handsome contemporary morocco binding with expert repairs to joints, spine ends, and extremities.