The Naval Achievements of Great Britain, from the Year 1793 to 1817.

London: printed for J. Jenkins, by L. Harrison,, [after 1823]. A matchless visual record of Nelson's navy First edition, later issue, with watermarks dated 1813 and 1823. This magnificent publication, the most renowned contemporary visual record of Nelson's navy, illustrates the high-water mark of Britain's maritime hegemony. Included, among the images of the battles and duels fought during the wars with France and the United States, are three views of Trafalgar and two each of Copenhagen and the Nile. Nearly all of the plates are based on paintings by Thomas Whitcombe (1763-1824), an accomplished and prolific maritime artist about whose life little is known. He was a frequent exhibitor at the Royal Academy and his work is held in numerous public collections, including the National Maritime Museum and Tate Britain. Jenkins's book was disappointingly slow to sell on its first issue in 1817 and he chose to issue copies as demand necessitated. The very earliest copies have the text watermarked 1812 and 1816 and the plates 1811. It was still being issued as late as 1840, copies having been seen with watermarks of that date. The earliest issues can be identified by the title-page vignette remaining uncoloured; otherwise, the key consideration for collectors is the quality of the colouring, which is excellent in the present copy. As Roger Quarm, curator of pictures at the National Maritime Museum, has remarked: "As a record of naval events spanning a period of over twenty years [it] has no precedent. At no time prior to 1817 had a publisher attempted such a complete volume of documentary naval prints. It is the quality of accuracy which makes Jenkins so valuable" (quoted in the introduction to the 1998 facsimile edition). Quarto (355 x 280 mm). With tissue-guarded allegorical vignette title page engraved by W. Bartlett (hand-coloured, as per later issues) showing Neptune imploring Britannia against a background of ships and a fortified coastline, 55 hand-coloured aquatint plates of naval battles and ships by T. Sutherland (45), Bailey (6), and J. Jeakes (3) after Thomas Whitcombe, one by Pocock engraved by Sutherland, and plate with 2 etched plans (Bombardment of Algiers and Battle of Trafalgar). Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in navy blue full morocco, spine gilt-lettered direct in second compartment, other compartments framed by gilt triple fillets enclosing alternating motifs of ship in full sail and fouled anchor, sides with concentric borders of gilt fillets and rope twist rolls, fouled anchor cornerpieces, blue marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Housed in a custom blue cloth leather-entry slipcase. One plate a trifle dusty, some foxing to tissue guards, but a very good copy. Abbey 337; Tooley 282.