The seats of the nobility and gentry : in a collection of the most interesting & picturesque views, / engraved by W. Watts, from drawings by the most eminent artists. With descriptions of each view.
William Watts (London 1752 - Cobham 1851)
Category
Books
Date
1779 - 1786
Materials
Place of origin
Chelsea
Collection
Anglesey Abbey, Cambridgeshire
NT 3246471
Summary
Bibliographic description
[2], 4, [170] p., lxxxiv plates : ill. ; obl. 4to. Bound in 2 v. Shelved and uniform with: Angus' "The seats of the nobility and gentry ... " (London, 1787-1815), "The copper-plate magazine" (vols. 1-5) (London, 1792-1802), bound with Sandby's "A collection of landscapes" (London, 1777), Sandby's "The virtuosi's museum ... " (London, 1778), "Picturesque views of the principal seats of the nobility and gentry, in England and Wales" (London, [1788]), Milton's "Select views in Ireland ... " (London, 1821), bound with "A collection of views ... in North Wales" (London, 1792), and Middiman's "Select views in Great Britain" (London, [1813?]), bound with Watts' "Select views of the principal buildings ... in the cities of Bath and Bristol ... " (London, 1819). Imperfect: wanting list of subscribers. Duplicate (proof?) copies of all plates except I, VII, IX-XI, XIV-XV, XXI-XVI, XXVIII, XXX, XXXV, XL-XLI, XLIV, XLVII-XLVIII, L, LII, LIV-LVI, LX, LXV, LXXVI. Two duplicate (proof?) copies of plates XVII, LXIX and LXVI (the last with pencil caption on one copy). Tissue guardleaves to some plates. Provenance: pencil initials on front pastedown in v. 1 and on rear pastedown in v. 2: "C W H". Twentieth-century armorial bookplate (large variant), signed Badeley 1930: ‘Urban Huttleston Rogers Lord Fairhaven’ [i.e.: Huttleston Rogers Broughton, 1st Lord Fairhaven (1896-1966)]. Binding: Nineteenth-century full green morocco; gilt fillets and roll to form a border; sewn onto five recessed cords; five false bands; spines gilt, lettered direct (gilt tooled): 'Views in Gt. Britain' and 'Watts's Seats I[-II]'; double gilt fillet on board edges; triple gilt fillet on turn-ins; gilt textblock edges.
Makers and roles
William Watts (London 1752 - Cobham 1851), engraver (printmaker)