The Olio: Being a Collection of Essays, Dialogues, Letters, Biographical Sketches, Anecdotes, Pieces of Poetry, Parodies, Bon Mots, Epigrams, Epitaphs, &c. Chiefly Original.

London: Hooper and Wigstead, 1796. Leather. Good. 8" by 5". None. The second edition of this posthumously published collection of English antiquary Francis Grose's works. With a portrait frontispiece of Grose. This is the second edition of this work, which was previously published in 1793. ESTC No. T83276. These writings span a wide range of subjects, from begging to funerals and blundering pedantry. The collection forms a humorous selection of anecdotes, verses and essays. The majority of this work had remained unpublished during the author's lifetime, except for the essays included that were his contributions to the 'Grumbler' periodical. Grose was an English antiquary, draughtsman and lexicographer. He had a keen interest in drawing and was the first art critic to affirm that aesthetic emotions emerge from a specific cultural environment. He wrote this in his 'Rules for drawing caricatures, with an essay on comic painitn'. He is therefore sometimes considered as the first critical 'aesthetical regionalist theorist'. In a full calf binding. Externally, worn. Split to the front joint resulting in some loss to the leather. Large loss to the leather at the front board. Occasional handling marks to boards. Prior owner's inscription to the recto of front endpaper dated 1900. Front hinge is tender. Rear hinge is slightly strained but firm. Internally, generally firmly bound though strained in places. Pages are generally bright with just the odd spots. Good