An Historical and Descriptive Account of The Coast of Sussex

1833, with delightful hand-coloured plates

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

First edition. Hardback, fairly recently rebound in quarter leather with contrasting title label to spine and marbled paper covered boards. 26 × 16 cm, xii + 435pp, with folding map, title page vignette and six plates.

Full title: An Historical and Descriptive Account of The Coast of Sussex. Brighton, Hastings, St. Leonards, Rye, Worthing, Arundel, Goodwood, Chichester, Battle, Hurstmonceaux, Lewes & Tonbridge Wells &c. Forming also a Guide to all The Watering Places.

A history of the coastal towns of Sussex, the main section being on Brighton (and the smaller surrounding villages such as Hove), then Eastbourne, Rye, Hastings etc, with each town given a history, institutions, and notable residents. What makes this copy more unusual is the map and the plates have been proficiently but probably not professionally hand-coloured. The map has the titling coloured in, the coastline and the vignettes (Arundel and Battle Abbey), whilst the six plates within the book have been very nicely hand-coloured: Brighton (East), Royal Pavilion (new entrance), Brighton (West), Hurstmonceaux Castle, Fairlight Hill & Hastings, and Goodwood. The title page vignette has also been neatly hand-coloured, though slightly less appealing is the lettering to the title page and the dedication page which are coloured in—not terribly but can't help feeling they should have stopped at the plates!

Condition

A decent copy. There is some rubbing and fading to the spine and boards, and the plates are tanned to the edges, with some foxing (at times quite heavy) to the tissue guards and associated offsetting from that. The main text pages are in good clean condition, and the inner binding is secure.