The Roadster's Album

Newhouse, C. B

London: Messrs. Fores, 1845

Folio. Hand-colored aquatint pictorial title-page by Henry Alken and 15 of 16 hand-colored aquatints by C.B. Newhouse. Original blind stamped red cloth, restoration to original spine. Tissue guards. Lacking plate 16 and the 8 pages of ads in rear. Scattered marginal foxing, affecting engraving on first 3 plates and final plate. Plates rehinged on modern linen. Scratches on carriage on plate 11.

"The Roadsters' Album, a rare and humorous volume of hand-colored aquatints by C.B. Newhouse, an artist who confined himself almost exclusively to scenes of mail and stage coaching and sport driving. The book is an excellent example of Newhouse's work, as his images usually portray the speed associated with the open road, and the calamity or comedy that speed can bring about" (National Sporting Library). The publisher, Messrs. Fores (established 1785-86), "specialised in publishing and selling the best sporting prints" (Siltzer). According to Siltzer, this is a re-issue of Newhouse's Scenes on the Road originally published 1833-35 by Watson.

The Plates:1. Travelling in a Hunting Country - "I hope you are not much hurt, Sir." 2. An Unwelcome Fare - "All that luggage by the Mail, Ma'am, quite impossible." 3. The Drag is broke and we are on the Bank. 4. Is the Bottom pretty sound? 5. A False Start.6. Taking an Inside Birth [sic] - "It strikes me we're going to have some rough weather." 7. "No time to lose, Ma'am; here's the other coach close behind." 8. "Hold hard! You have forgot the lady." 9. An Awkward Place in a Frost.10. I'm afraid we have now got into the Ditch. 11. The Sleepy Gatekeeeper. 12. The Old Grey loosed his Trace again. 13. "Quite full, Sir." 14. One Mile from Gretna, our Governor in sight. 15. An Arrival at Gretna - Overtaken by the Guardian. Tooley 346. Abbey, Life 407. Siltzer, p. 192. Snelgrove, British Sporting and Animal Prints, p.126, no. 4. I