WALTON (Izaak) - COTTON (Charles) [GODENS (Thomas)]. *The Complete Angler,...

WALTON (Izaak) - COTTON (Charles) [GODENS (Thomas)]. *The Complete Angler, or Contemplative Man's Recreation: A Discourse on Rivers, Fish-Ponds, Fish, and Fishing*. In Two Parts: the first by Izaak Walton, the second by Charles Cotton, Esq. With the lives of the authors and historical, supplementary, and explanatory notes by Sir John Hawkins, Knt.
London, James Smith, 1822; 2 parts in 1 vol., in-16. LX-383 pp. Green morocco, covers cold-stamped, with portraits of the authors on both covers, accompanied by small illustrated scenes below and framed by motifs evoking fishing. Framed with gilt and cold-stamped scrollwork. Spine also decorated with a fishing scene (gilded), surmounted by the gilded title, and below it the intertwined initials IW CC. Spine slightly discolored. Hinges cracked.
A copy by the famous English bookbinder Thomas Gosden, bound by him personally; his bookplate, engraved by J. Scott, appears on the front endpaper. Gosden is particularly famous for his superb artistic bindings on the themes of fishing and hunting (notably the editions of Izaak Walton’s *The Complete Angler*). He was also a publisher, art dealer, and engraver
Another engraved bookplate: “Thomas Drane.” Housed in a modern green cloth slipcase.
The volume is illustrated with 26 plates, including 15 original plates printed on China paper and 11 inserted plates—engraved vignettes in intaglio, mounted on blank sheets, and surrounded by black borders.