(Antiquarian Archaeology) 3 Vols. Fowler, William. Engravings of the...

(Antiquarian Archaeology) 3 Vols. Fowler, William. Engravings of the Mosaic Pavements... London: Winterton, [1796-1804, or later]; [1805-1809, or later]; [1810-1824, or later]. Each volume in folio, 665 mm x 520 mm, modern green cloth, front covers with title on old morocco labels; label to Volume II a bit scuffed and desiccated, but bindings otherwise generally bright, joints tight. With altogether 84 mounted engraved plates in hand color, original or contemporary tissue guards, and 25 printed advertisements/explanatory notes/subscriber's broadsides tipped-in. Bound in the order of the Prospectus printed by Storr (Grantham, 1824 or later), two copies of which are found loose or tipped in this particular copy. * Volume I "Engravings of the Principal Mosaic Pavements" originally issued serially in two parts 1796-1804, with plates printed and dated as such. With two dedication pages and altogether 28 engraved plates: "Mosaic Pavements" plates 1-21 (with plates 20 and 21 folding), "Engravings of Subjects" plates 22-27, and one additional engraving tipped in "Henry Lord Beaumont." * Volume II "Appendix" with dedication page and 26 engraved plates. (The Prospectus calls for only 16 engravings in total, but does also announce that so-called "Engraving 10" is, as here, rather a ten-part collection of "7 Norman Earls, 2 Saxon Earls…and a genealogical account") * Volume III "A Second Appendix" with 30 engraved plates: 1-29 as called-for and one extra plate "From a Window in Southwest Cathedral." Plates in all three volumes are very bright, with bold color, with Volume III "A Second Appendix" the cleanest in the set; Volume I and Volume II evidence some old water stains/mildew remnants typically 20 mm (or less) from lower sheet edge up to tissue guard lower edge, in some cases less noticeably than others, but never affecting plates themselves. Volume I folding plate 21 beginning to separate at original fold. Early cataloger's foliation in ink to sheet margins at recto lower right. A very striking copy of this series, but ex-library and SWAF including library bookplates on pastedowns, accession numbers ink-stamped (albeit subtly) on dedication pages to each volume, and proneness to brittle edges owing to a period of desuetude.