VIEWS IN THE SEVEN IONIAN ISLANDS: A Facsimile of the Original Edition Published in 1863 by the Artist

Oldham: Hugh Broadbent, 1979. Hardcover. Fine. From the library of revered English actor, comedian, musician, and writer Eric Idle, with his signature ("Ex Libris Eric Idle") on the title page, accompanied by a letter of provenance. Idle (b.1943) is a founding member of the British comedy troupe Monty Python, as well as the parody rock group The Rutles, and is the writer of the music and lyrics for the hit Broadway musical Spamalot. He is also the author of The Quite Remarkable Adventures of the Owl and the Pussycat (1996), a story based on the characters, poems, and drawings of Edward Lear.

This edition is limited to one thousand copies, of which this is No. 344. Folio: [49], [1, blank] p. with the title page and 20 tinted plates after Edward Lear. Original green cloth binding, with gilt titles. A fine copy in the clear acetate dust wrapper.

From 1855 to 1858 and from 1861 to 1864, Edward Lear (1812-88) more or less resided in Corfu. "He knew all the islands quite well: the drawings in this work were made during the spring of 1863. Their publication was planned to take advantage of the cession of the Ionian Islands to Greece in 1864" (Blackmer). Lear is best known for his literary nonsense in poetry and prose and especially his limericks, a form he popularized.