William Loring Andrews, 1897

[ANDREWS, William Loring (1837-1920).] The Journey of the Iconophiles around New York in Search of the Historical and Picturesque. New York: privately printed, 1897.

One of 87 copies printed on Imperial Japan paper. Andrews was a prominent rare book collector of English and American literature and a founding member of the Grolier Club, in 1884, and the Society of Iconophiles, in 1894. The stated purpose of the Iconophiles was to issue a series of engraved views of New York City and portraits of prominent persons connected with New York City. This copy with two versions of the frontispiece titled "A View of the Battery and Harbour of New York and the Ambuscade Frigate, 1793" (with and without text) and no other plates (12 are called for); perhaps a proof copy. Members of the Iconophiles at the time were Andrews, S.P. Avery, J.S. Morgan, Beverly Chew, C.B. Foote, W.F. Havemeyer, E.B. Holden, R.H. Lawrence, M.C. Lefferts, and J. Harsen Purdy.

Octavo (240 x 170mm). 2 plates comprising two different states of the frontispiece, with and without text. Contemporary green morocco gilt by the Club Bindery (few light scrapes, some rubbing to spine bands).