Italy. A Poem.

Bookseller Notes

Rogers's last and longest work. The first part was published anonymously in 1822; the second, with his name attached, in 1828. It was at first a failure, but Rogers was determined to make it a success. He enlarged and revised the poem, and commissioned illustrations from J.M.W. Turner, Thomas Stothard and Samuel Prout. These were engraved on steel in the sumptuous edition of 1830. The book then proved a great success. The desirability of this book is counterintuitive. It is an unillustrated proof copy of the first illustrated edition: a bibliographical curiosity therefore. It does have the added attraction of deriving from the poet's own library. A note by Horace Waddington, of Univ. Coll. Oxford, inside the front cover records his having bought it, via Kerslake, at the auction of the poet's books in October 1856, along with other books. Kerslake's receipt is tipped in. COPAC has only 1 location corresponding to this: Reading. This was Lot 1683 in the Rogers sale. There are copies galore of Rogers's books in the sale catalogue, but this unique.