THE COMPLETE ANGLER. Extensively Embellished with Engravings on Copper and Wood, from Original Paintings and Drawings, by First-Rate Artists. To which are added, An Introductory Essay; The Linnaean Arrangement of the Various River-Fish Delineated in the Work; and Illustrated Notes [with,] THE COMPLETE ANGLER Part II Being Instructions How to Angle for a Trout in a Clear Stream.

The important John Major edition, third edition, textually all but identical to the first. Provenance of the Kohler family of Kohler, Wisconsin, whose members include two Governors of Wisconsin, and the founder and executives of Kohler Co., a manufacturing company of high-end plumbing products, furniture, cabinetry, etc. With fifteen copperplates, including a larger and improved frontispiece portrait of Izaak Walton, a facsimile of the title-page to the Angler of 1653, and the illustrations by Wale and Nash now re-cut by W.B. Smith in a slightly larger and sharper format than the originals, and with the famous 77 woodcuts throughout the text. 8vo, handsomely bound in contemporary full tan polished calf,the boards with a double-framed border of twin blind-embossed frames with rosette cornerpieces within a triple gilt-ruled frame with rosette cornerpieces, the spine with raised bands, five handsomely gilt-tooled compartments and a sixth compartment with a dark brown gilt lettered morocco label, gilt ruling and numbers at the head and tail, board edges and turn-ins elaborately gilt rolled, fine marbled endpapers, a.e.g. lviii, 416 pp. An especially appealing copy of this fine edition, the text-block is very fine and fresh, absolutely free of any spotting or evidence of foxing, the binding sound and stout, very attractive with only light age mellowing.

Edizione: john major's superb illustrated edition of walton's complete angler, a great sporting book, and one of the most treasured works in the english language. "major is well known for his beautiful edition of walton and cotton's complete angler" - dnb xii:823. this third edition has the plates re-cut from the original drawings, and while the publisher still calls them "copper-plates", they are now crisper and more detailed than the originals and look more like steel engravings.<br> this copy with notable provenance bearing the signature on the front fly of dorothy dings kohler (1905-1989) of the famous kohler family of wisconsin. earlier (1841) provenance of a. e. appley, whose signature is on the front blank, the appley family also being noteworthy residents of winnebago county, and of robert thomas jackson.<br> walton's angler has been described as "full of wisdom, kindly humour, and charity; it is one of the most delightful and care-dispelling books in the language." "more than most authors he lives in his writings, which are the pure expression of a kind, humorous and pious soul in love with nature, while the expression itself is unique for apparent simplicity which is really elaborately studied art" - dnb xx:732.<br> the compleat angler was first published in 1653, but walton continued to add to it for a quarter of a century. it is a celebration of the art and spirit of fishing in prose and verse; 6 verses were quoted from john dennys's 1613 work the secrets of angling. it was dedicated to john offley, his most honoured friend. there was a second edition in 1655, a third in 1661 (identical with that of 1664), a fourth in 1668 and a fifth in 1676. in this last edition the thirteen chapters of the original had grown to twenty-one, and a second part was added by his friend and brother angler charles cotton, who took up venator where walton had left him and completed his instruction in fly fishing and the making of flies. britannica