The Landscape Gardening and Landscape Architecture of the Late Humphrey Repton... (with Hand-Colored Illustrations)

London: Printed for the Editor, 1840. First collected edition. Contemporary calf, rebacked with original spine laid down retaining one morocco label with the second replaced. All edges marbled. Marbled endpapers. Measuring 215 x 130mm and collating xxxi, [1], 619: bound without half title, else complete including 253 engraved illustrations, of which 181 are expertly hand-colored. A lovely, square copy with minimal foxing to preliminary and terminal leaves; remainder of textblock fresh. Contemporary ownership signature of J. Henry Baylis to front endpaper. An exceptional example of the scarce issue with colored plates, which was released at a price of 5/6d (compared to the standard issue price of 2/6d). The most recent colored copy on the market sold at Christie's in a modern binding in 2012. Housed in a custom clamshell.

One of the rare hand colored copies of what Loudon hoped would be an extended series celebrating Repton's work, the present title ultimately stood alone with no further volumes printed. As it is, the impressive tome documents the historically important work of Humphry Repton, who actively engaged in "the principal styles and contemporary debates of landscape design," including "perspective tricks to disguise differing water levels, and instructions on the use of cattle as a natural measure of scale." It is both a textual and visual reminder of the innovations taking place in the 19th century, as a wider number of public and private spaces were engineered for human use and enjoyment.


Provenance of the library of James Henry Baylis, architect and surveyor of Swansea, Wales. His most notable work was the design and construction of the Goat Street Synagogue, which stood for 82 years until it was destroyed during the 1941 "Three Nights Blitz.