The Chronicle of England: From Julius Caesar to the Norman Conquest [Complete 2-Volume First Edition with 42 Engraved Plates]

Strutt, Joseph (1749-1802)

Edité par Joseph Cooper for Walter Shropshire, London, 1777

JOSEPH STRUTT & THE INVENTION OF HISTORICAL IMAGINATION. This is a robust two-volume first edition of Joseph Strutt's 1777 history of early Britain, chronicling the era from Julius Caesar to the Norman Conquest. Rebound in handsome modern quarter leather, this set is distinguished by 42 copper-plate engravings by Strutt himself, offering a visual reconstruction of Anglo-Saxon manners, customs, and military life. Key Features: +++ Visuals: The set contains 42 engraved maps and plates created by the author. Key illustrations observed in the photos include a folding map of 'Ancient Britons' depicting Roman roads, a facsimile of an illuminated Gospel page with intricate knotwork, and scenes of Saxon husbandry and warfare including chainmail-clad soldiers. +++ Content: Vol I covers the arrival of Julius Caesar to the Saxon Heptarchy; Vol II covers the accession of Egbert to the Norman Conquest. The text goes beyond political dates to explore the 'civil and military' history, including dress and daily habits. +++ Associated Names: Joseph Strutt (Author/Artist), Joseph Cooper (Printer), Walter Shropshire (Bookseller). +++ Provenance: The front endpapers of each volume retain armorial bookplates from a previous owner (details visible in photos). Physical Specs: +++ Date: 1777 +++ Dimensions: Quarto (Approx. 10 x 8 inches) / 2 Volumes (vi, 291 pp; viii, 365 pp). +++ Format: Modern quarter brown leather over marbled paper boards with raised bands and gilt titling. Condition: Very Good -- The set has been professionally rebound in modern quarter leather which remains tight and square. Text block is clean with light, even age toning typical of the era. There is moderate shelf wear including rubbing to the leather spines and edges of the marbled boards. Internally, there is scattered offsetting where the plates have pressed against adjacent pages over the centuries. A sturdy, attractive example of a foundational reference work. Historical Significance -- Joseph Strutt (1749-1802) occupies a unique space in British historiography as both an antiquarian and a skilled engraver. Before Strutt, history books were largely textual; Strutt believed that to understand the past, one had to visualize it. He spent his days in the British Museum sketching direct from illuminated manuscripts, making his work-including this Chronicle-some of the earliest accurate visual records of English costume and habits. Sir Roy Strong later identified Strutt as the 'most important single figure in the investigation of the costume of the past' and a primary influence on the visual language of the Romantic and Pre-Raphaelite movements. This 1777 set represents the beginning of that legacy, shifting the focus of history from mere king-lists to a broader anthropological view of the Anglo-Saxon people. Keywords: Joseph Strutt, 1777, Chronicle of England, Anglo-Saxon History, Antiquarian Books, Copper Plate Engravings, Roman Britain, Heptarchy, Costume History, Illustrated Manuscripts, Leather Binding. N° de réf. du vendeur 21487

Détails bibliographiques

Titre : The Chronicle of England: From Julius Caesar...
Éditeur : Joseph Cooper for Walter Shropshire, London
Date d'édition : 1777
Illustrateur : Strutt, Joseph (1749-1802)
Etat : Very Good
Etat de la jaquette : No Dust Jacket, As Issued
Edition : First Edition, First Printing.