The pickwick treasury of wit, joe miller's jest book: comprising rich gems of humour and the most spirited witticisms

[EPIGRAMS]

Published by Published by J. Barr & Co. [printed by J. S. Pratt], London, 1842

352pp. With a half-title and a woodcut frontispiece. Contemporary green half-morocco, marbled boards, spine richly gilt. Rubbed and toned, some surface loss to upper board. Recent bookplate of Robert J. Hayhurst to FEP, light offsetting to title page. A rare survival of a compilation of original nineteenth-century witticisms. The eponymous Joe Miller (1684-1738), English actor, first became associated with anthologies of epigrams with the publication of Joe Miller's Jests: or, the wits vade-mecum (London, 1739), compiled by John Mottley (1692-1750) under the pseudonym of Elijah Jenkins. The immense popularity of the work led to the emergence of many imitators throughout the latter half of the eighteenth-century and the continued use of Miller's name regardless of whether they possessed any actual association to the man. The first appearance of a work bearing this precise title is seemingly an edition printed in Dublin in 1840. This is apparently the first London edition (further editions appeared each year up to 1845). OCLC records copies of this 1842 printing at two locations (California and San Francisco); COPAC adds no further. Size: 12mo. Seller Inventory # AQ21571

Bibliographic Details

Title: The pickwick treasury of wit, joe miller's ...
Publisher: Published by J. Barr & Co. [printed by J. S. Pratt], London
Publication Date: 1842
Binding: Hardcover
Edition: 1st Edition