L. Scott

"First edition. Engraved title, 20 engraved plates, printed on one side of the leaf only, the majority having a printed location above the image, and all with a rhyming couplet below; a[n] ... extremely rare 'Cries'; in the original marbled wrappers with printed paper label on the upper cover, approx 11.2 x 9.2 cm's, contained in a modern quarter morocco, gilt folding box with title to spine.
Rare and highly desirable collection of Edinburgh cries, 'characteristically represented', showing the trades of the city at the beginning of the nineteenth century. The work is particularly interesting as it shows several female criers, some specifically at their pitches in the city, including a lady selling "curds an' green whey" beside Tron Church, High Street; Peggy the turnip seller, shown at Bridewell, Calton Hill; and a lady selling 'pease and beans' in the Grass market with the castle in the background. Also shown is a haddock seller; salad and vegetable sellers, and Madge the salt seller, accompanied with the two line verse (as with all the cries) "Here Madge doth trudge thro' wet and dry, Wha'll buy salt, is Madge's cry". This work was latter reissued (between 1808-1811) with a different title and the plates accompanied by 20 pages of text. Beall, K., Cries E98., citing Edinburgh Public Library; OCLC recording only two copies, at Indiana (Lilly Library) and the Corporation of London Library." (Pickering & Chatto, cat. 799, lot 38). COPAC adds NLS (PB9.214.17/19L) and Univ. Oxford (Opie B 76). Yale's Recent Antiquarian Acquisitions blog also lists a copy (647 803C), acquired from Pickering & Chatto, July 2018, so quite possibly this copy, and an add. ref., Owen, C.T. Handlist of ill. children's books, 368.… (mehr)