A fine set of Grose’s ‘Antiquities’, a work with a complicated history. The whereabouts of the miniature series of county maps by John Seller since the edition by Isaac Cleave of 1711 is unknown. We do know that shares in them were traded between booksellers in the period 1737-39. Hodson records that they are here referred to as ‘Camden’s Epitome with maps’. At this time, it appears that there were twelve shares in the work.

The second half of the eighteenth century produced a fascination amongst the English for the landscape and particularly antiquities. Hodson describes its roots succinctly; ‘At the beginning of the eighteenth century the fashion of topographical engraving was that of the formal ‘picture maps’ of Knyff and Kip, depicting the gentleman’s house in bird’s-eye view … The first stirring of change came with the formation in 1717 of the Society of Antiquaries which sponsored fine engraving and whose members gave support to the brothers Samuel and Nathanial Buck who, between 1720 and 1753, realised a vast project to illustrate ‘the venerable remains of above 400 castles, Monasteries, Palaces, etc., in England and Wales’. Concurrently with this Britain’s road network was improving. Whilst the wealthy were travelling on their Grand Tours, the middle class took advantage of this and explored the country.

Several publications were issued to meet this demand but the most successful was that of Francis Grose (1731-91). His father was a wealthy Swiss jeweller, which enabled Grose to lead a relatively comfortable life. He served in the army, studied art and architectural antiquities and became a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries in 1757. His most notable work is ‘The Antiquities of England and Wales’ which is a topographical work of the counties of England and Wales issued in alphabetical order. It was first issued in sixty parts between 1772 and 1776 and at intervals bound together in four volumes. Hodson’s analysis of the work is the most thorough, but even he commented on the variability of binding. As the work was distributed in parts through several booksellers and appeared to be a great success, examples were bound at different stages using letterpress that may have had to be reset; virtually no two examples are alike. This first edition is usually bound in four volumes dated 1773-76, with two supplements dated 1777 and 1787. It is populated by many topographical engravings. The maps are either bound throughout the work or sometimes collected in the second supplemental volume. The first volume was announced in the ‘Morning Chronicle, and London Advertiser’ 29 September 1773. Many booksellers are named in the adverts but only that of Samuel Hooper appeared on the title page. We might assume the rest were mere distributors. The ‘London Evening Post’ for the 4 July 1776 announced that ‘This day were published … in four volumes quarto, containing near 400 views, all taken on the spot, price 21.6s. each volume in boards, ‘The Antiquities of England & Wales’.

Shortly after completion Grose and Hooper were persuaded to produce more. Although begun early in 1777 the project was thrown by Grose being called to duty for the Surrey Regiment of Militia for which he was adjutant and paymaster. To make matters worse Hooper went bankrupt in November 1778. His finances gradually improved and in August 1783 whilst in new premises in High Holborn, he issued proposals for an octavo edition. The maps themselves were all altered for the ‘Antiquities’ but were not changed again. Provenance: each volume contains bookplates for Nathan of Churt dated 1945; and Robert Charles Gooding Williams; Prof. R.C.G. Williams, OBE, his sale Clarke Gammon, Guildford, 14 November 2000 lot 159; private English collection. Refer Chubb (1927) 122; Farrant (1995); Hodson (1984-97) 276.