Account of the Proceedings at the Dinner Given by Mr George Peabody to the Americans Connected with The Great Exhibition at the London Coffee House Ludgate Hill on the 27th October 1851.

PEABODY (George).

Published by [Printed by C. Whittingham for] William Pickering, Printed for Private Distribution., London, 1851

Title printed in black and red, illustration of the Loving Cup on p[6], woodcut head and tail pieces and printer's woodcut device at the end.
First Edition. 4to. [282 x 190 x 15 mm]. 114pp. Original binding by Bone & Son (with their ticket on the rear pastedown) of wave grain blue cloth, the covers blocked in gilt with a wide arabesque border and holly wreath centrepiece lettered "Mr Peabody's International Entertainment". Smooth spine divided into five panels with gilt rules, lettered in the second "Proceedings at Mr. G Peabody's Parting Dinner", and with Pickering's name at the foot, glazed yellow endleaves, gilt edges. In later slipcase.
Very lightly browned but a fine copy. This is one of 140 copies in the the de luxe gilt binding reserved for the guest's at Mr Peabody's Dinner. It is inscribed in ink on the front endleaf: "Mrs Francis P. Corbin / with the regards of / George Peabody ' Jan 1. 1852". Mr Francis P. Corbin of Virginia (1801-1876) is listed amongst the "Names of the Persons Invited to Mr. Peabody's Dinner". Mrs Corbin was a rich Philadelphian heiress.
With a copy of the same edition in the same format in the original blue cloth with Bone & Son label with the covers with the borders blocked in blind and the centrepiece and lettering in gilt, the spine divided into five panels with the rules in blind and lettering on gilt, glazed yellow endleaves, gilt edges. In a later slipcase.
Again very lightly browned but a fine copy. One of 500 large paper copies.
And a copy of the same work but in 8vo [220 x 140 x 12 mm]. 114pp. In the original blue cloth with Bone & Son label, the covers with a variant border blocked in blind and with a laurel wreath at the centre, blocked in gilt on the front and blind on the rear. The spine divided into five panels by blind rules, lettered in gilt in the second and at the foot, glazed yellow endleaves, gilt edges. (A little rubbed).
A few spots, but a very good copy. One of 1250 copies in octavo.
And another copy of the 8vo edition in the original blue cloth but without the Bone & Son label, with the same blind border and gilt laurel wreath at the centre enclosing an American eagle, and no wreath on the rear. (A little rubbed).
A little light browning and minor foxing, but a very good copy. With the book label of Philip Sperling. This is the American issue, with the eagle in the wreath.
George Peabody (1795-1869), merchant, international financier and philanthropist from Baltimore, settled permanently in London in 1837 and established a firm specialising in foreign exchange and American securities. He became so powerful that he was able to compete with the Rothschilds and Barings and he acted as an unofficial ambassador for the American business communities in London. When in 1851 America was humiliated by the failure of Congress to appropriate money for a display at the Crystal Palace exhibition, his gift of $15,000 made it possible to show American products and inventions besides those of other nations.
The book records the speeches and toasts at the dinner, and was organised and produced by Henry Stevens of Vermont. The speakers included Peabody, Mr F. P. Corbin, Col. T. Bigelow Lawrence and J. C. Bancroft David of the American Legation to London, the Earl of Granville (the Chairman of the Royal Commission), Robert R. Walker (Secretary of the Treasury of the United States), Sir Henry Lytton Bulwer, and Joseph Paxton(architect of the Crystal Palace). Seller Inventory # ebc9204

Bibliographic Details

Title: Account of the Proceedings at the Dinner ...
Publisher: [Printed by C. Whittingham for] William Pickering, Printed for Private Distribution., London
Publication Date: 1851
Binding: Hardcover
Condition: Fine
Edition: 1st Edition