A Guide to the Watering Places, on the Coast, between the Exe and the Dart; including Teignmouth, Dawlish, and Torquay, embellished with a general view of Teignmouth and Dawlish, and the various Seats around Them, with a short Description of the Neighbourhood; to which will be subjoined, by special Leave, from the Honourable the Board of Ordnance, a reduced part of their Grand Map. Dedicated, by permission to the Right. Hon. Lord Viscount Ermouth.

NOBLE, W. B.

Published by Teignmouth: E. Croydon, 1817-18

About this Item

First edition, the three parts bound together as issued, of this travel guide to the spa towns of Devon, from the era of Jane Austen, by the drawing-master and landscape painter W. B. Noble. A provincial printing, it lists 172 subscribers, most of whom were local. William Bonneau Noble (1780-1831) was from an artistic family; his uncle William Noble was a drawing-master who succeeded to the practice of Jacob Bonneau, and his brothers Samuel and George were engravers. At first a successful drawing-master in his own right, Noble aspired to establish himself as a watercolour painter. Three of his watercolours were exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1809, but the following year his submissions were rejected. Driven into depression by his lack of success, for years he found little work and even attempted suicide in 1825, ultimately dying in poverty. Daniel Havell (1786-1822), of the prominent Havell family of artists, was the nephew of the engraver Robert Havell; they set up as aquatint engravers in London in 1809 but had parted ways by 1815, with Daniel establishing himself at 16 Howard St, The Strand, according to this title's plates. Abbey, Scenery, 114; Tooley 347. 3 parts in one vol., octavo (208 x 128 mm). Engraved folding map as frontispiece, 15 hand-coloured aquatint plates by Daniel Havell after the author's own drawings, plates 6 and 10 bound out of sequence, 3 of these folding, plate 7 with printed overslip as issued, and 8 page subscribers list at rear. Contemporary mottled calf rebacked to style, spine lettered and tooled in gilt in compartments, red calf label, board edges rolled in gilt, shell pattern marbled endpapers, edges speckled brown. Bookseller's catalogue slip pasted to front free endpaper verso. Edges rubbed, upper corners worn, bottom corners repaired, inner hinges reinforced with marbled paper, book block remaining firm, top edge browned, light foxing throughout, text offset to a few plates, else bright. A very good copy.

Seller Inventory # 158928

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A Guide to the Watering Places, on the Coast, between the Exe and the Dart; including Teignmouth, Dawlish, and Torquay, embellished with a general view of Teignmouth and Dawlish, and the various Seats around Them, with a short Description of the Neighbourhood; to which will be subjoined, by special Leave, from the Honourable the Board of Ordnance, a reduced part of their Grand Map. Dedicated, by permission to the Right. Hon. Lord Viscount Ermouth.
• Publisher: Teignmouth: E. Croydon, 1817-18
• Edition: 1st Edition