"My Sketch-Book," is the title of a production by George Cruikshank, peculiarly his own, sketched, etched, published and sold by himself. The book was issued in oblong parts of 4 leaves each, concluding with part 9, embracing about 200 groups, comic, humorous, satirical and artistic in the highest degree. Geo. Cruikshank is an artist whose genius has found many warm admirers in America, and his works are eagerly sought by collectors, who make Cruikshankiana a specialty; but the good fortune to possess a copy of "My Sketch-Book" only rests with the older collectors, who commenced their gatherings years ago. At the present time the book is practically unobtainable, and to most American collectors known only by description. Thackeray has written an essay, chiefly in laudation of the genius of George Cruikshank. The contemplation and review of the works of this wonderful man, stimulate the great author to a genial enthusiasm, dilating upon the happy hours he has spent over wondrous caricatures and quaint drawings, with a kindly, even affectionate warmth, brimful of delight, and running over with pleasant reminiscences. Thackeray, as our readers are aware, was no mean artist in caricature himself, having aspirations and knowledge in the direction of art, though with a want of the power of adequate expression. We extract what follows from his Essay in the Westminster Review of 1840. "The reader will perhaps wonder at the high-flown tone in which we speak of the services and merits of an individual, whom he considers a humble scraper on steel, that is wonderfully popular already-but none of us remember all the benefits we owe him; they have come, one by one, one driving out the memory of the other; it is only when we come to examine them altogether as the writer has done, who has a pile of books on the table before him-a heap of personal kindnesses from George Cruikshank, (not presents, if you please, for we bought, borrowed or stole every one of them,) that we feel what we owe him. "Look at one of Cruikshank's works and we pronounce him an excellent humorist. Look at all, his reputation is increased by a kind of geometrical progression; as a whole diamond is a hundred times more valuable than the hundred splinters into which it might be broken would be. A fine rough English diamond is this about which we have been writing." "A fine quality with Cruikshank, the quality of his success, as we have said before, is the extraordinary earnestness and good faith with which he executes all he attempts-the ludicrous, the polite, the low, the terrible. "It is folly to say that this or that kind of humor is too good for the public, that only a chosen few can relish it. The best humor that we know of has been as eagerly received by the public as by the most delicate connoisseur. There is hardly a man in England who can read but will laugh at Falstaff and the humor of Joseph Andrews; and honest Mr. Pickwick's story can be felt and loved by any person above the age of six. The best criterion of good humor is success, and what a share of this has Mr. Cruikshank had! how many millions of mortals has he made happy!" "There must be no smiling with Cruikshank: a man who does not laugh outright is a dullard, and has no heart;-and there are some of Cruikshank's designs, which have the blessed faculty of creating laughter as often as you see them, as Diggory says in the play, who is bidden by his master not to laugh while waiting at table. 'Don't tell the story of Grouse in the Gun-room, master, or I can't help laughing.' Repeat that history ever so often, and at the proper moment, honest Diggory is sure to explode. Every man, no doubt, who loves Cruikshank, has his Grouse in the Gun-room." "He has told a thousand truths in as many strange and fascinating ways—he has given a thousand new and pleasant thoughts to millions of people; he has never, in all the exuberance of his frolicsome humor, caused a single painful or guilty blush; how little do we think of the extraordinary power of this man, and how ungrateful we are to him!" "Cruikshank's humor is so good and benevolent that any man must love it." "The reader will examine the work called 'MY SKETCH-BOOK' with not a little amusement, and may gather from it, as we fancy, a good deal of information regarding the character of the individual man, George Cruikshank. What points strike his eye as a painter; what move his anger or admiration as a moralist; what classes he seems most especially disposed to observe, and what to ridicule." “What amazing, energetic fecundity do we find in him!” P. G. Hamerton, himself an artist, the author of "Etching and Etchers," and perhaps our best living art critic, in his essay on Cruikshank says that we do not find in his works a trace of a vain effort. Geo. Cruikshank's Sketch-Book is excellently adapted for a table-book of fun for the everyday book buyer, and for the draughtsman and artist it is a perfect study book, abounding in novelties of fun and form. We are about to reproduce "MY SKETCH-BOOK" in exact fac-simile, line for line. The work is peculiarly adapted for reproduction, owing to the force and freedom of the lines, and the process adopted is the most perfect that we know of, and the work has been done with the greatest care, printed by hand, on fine plate paper. The book is in fac-simile also in respect to size, oblong folio, bound with leather back, cloth sides. It contains about 200 groups, included in one of which is a full-length portrait of Geo. Cruikshank. Price, $6.00. We have reproduced herewith two pages, very much reduced in size and on inferior paper, and in effect by no means equal to the publication. For those who are special admirers of Geo. Cruikshank, we shall print a few copies on India paper, at $12.00. The book will be sent by mail, prepaid, on receipt of the price. The trade supplied on the usual terms. The book is confidently recommended to the trade. We are already in receipt of numerous orders and subscriptions. J. SABIN & SONS, 84 Nassau Street, New York, and ACHAPTER OF NOSES.. PILNS Most approved method of Pulling a fellows Nose (as practised by St. Dunstan _) Dengred Elched & Published by George Grukshank, who particularly requests that his Friends & the Public will observe that he has not connexion with any the works put forth by Mr KIDD of Chandos Street except "The Gentleman in Black" published some years ago, and that is the only transaction he ever had, or ever intends to have, with the aforesaid Mr Kidd, the Publisher of Chandos Street. West Strand myddelton Jerrace Pentonville August 1251834 LEGGO BROS. & CO., Photo-Lithographers AND PHOTO-TYPERS, ROOM 21, Times Building, Park Row, New York, P. O. BOX 3413. Steel, Copper, and Wood Engravings, Type Work, Pen and Ink Sketches. Etchings, Music, Manuscript, Maps, Plans, Architectural and Mechanical Designs, OLD AND RARE BOOKS, MSS., &c., REPRODUCED FROM THE ORIGINALS EITHER BY OUR Photo-Lithographic or Photo-Type Process. AT SHORT NOTICE AND MODERATE PRICES. N. B.-Parties having in their possession Rare Books, Engravings, or MSS., of which they desire fac-simile reproductions, can have their wants well supplied by giving us a call, or by correspondence, which should be addressed to P. O. Box 3413. Books from which pages, lines, or engravings are missing, can be completed by sending us a perfect original from which to copy the necessary portions. Valuable Books or Engravings should always be sent by Express. TO ADVERTISERS AND PUBLISHERS. THE AMERICAN BIBLIOPOLIST, A Literary Register and Repository of Notes and Queries, Shakespeariana, etc. ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION, $1.25, INCLUSIVE OF PRE-PAID POSTAGE. SINGLE NUMBERS 25 CENTS EACH. Published Bi-Monthly on the first day of February, April, June, August, October and December. AN ADMIRABLE ADVERTISING MEDIUM. Advertisements are solicited for the "AMERICAN BIBLIOPOLIS г." 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SABIN & SONS, Publishers, 84 Nassau St., New York. 14 York St., Covent Garden, London, W. C. |