The Foreign Tour of Messrs, Brown, Jones and Robinson: Being the History of What They Saw and Did in Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Italy

London: Bradbury & Evans , 1855. Leather. Good. 11.5" by 9" . Richard Doyle . A rebound early edition of this humorous fictional travel book by Richard Doyle, from the library of George Wren Howard. An early edition. Rebound in half calf, with the original pictorial cloth boards retained. Lacking the title page, and final three pages. From the library of George Wren Howard, with his bookplate to the front paste-down, and an ink inscription to the front blank reading, 'George Wren Howard from his affectionate a-papa, Walter Wren, September 1896 (Perry's Year)'. George Wren Howard was a British publisher, and co-founder of the popular publishing house, 'Jonathan Cape'. His grandfather was Walter Wren, the English Liberal Party politician. A popular Victorian work, depicting the fictional travels of Brown, Jones and Robinson across Europe. Comprising of a series of humorous illustrations and captions by Richard Doyle. Richard Doyle was a British illustrator whose work frequently featured in Punch magazine. Doyle was known for being incredibly unreliable, once nearly losing a commission to illustrate Thackeray's 'The Newcomes', due to consistent tardiness. With a bookplate for one, 'Egerton Parker' to the reverse of the front free endpaper. Pages 49 and 50 printed to the same leaf as called for in this edition. Rebound in half calf with the original cloth boards retained. Externally, smart with some rubbing to the extremities. Fading to the spine. Marks to the boards. Bookplate of 'G W Howard' to the front paste-down. Bookplate for 'Egerton Parker' to the reverse of the front free endpaper. Internally, firmly bound. Lacking the title page, and last three pages. Ink inscription for George Wren Howard from his grandfather to the front blank. Loss to the edges of the engraved title page, page 24 and page 77 however they have all been rebacked on new paper. The occasional small closed tear and repaired closed tear throughout. Light age-toning and handling marks throughout. Large closed tear of about 3 inches to page 51. Good