A magnificent series of plates, almost all of equal quality. Valuable as a record and exquisite in its presentation. THE MOST IMPORTANT COLOUR PLATE BOOK ON BRITISH TOPOGRAPHY” (Tooley). This work began in the summer of 1813 at Land’s-End in Cornwall and worked its way clockwise around the entire British Isles. Accompanying the artist William Daniell was the writer Richard Ayton with whom Daniell would fall out. Ayton contributed the letterpress of the first two volumes only. William Daniell (1769-1837) was born in Kingston-upon-Thames. On the death of his father in 1779 he went to live with his uncle, the landscape artist Thomas Daniell (1749-1840) and the course of his life was altered. At fourteen he accompanied his uncle to India and spent the next ten years travelling, painting and selling high quality engravings.

The ‘Voyages Round Great Britain’ was William Daniell’s next great project, he spent the summers of 1813-23 travelling various sections of the coast seeking places of interest to draw. For many of the locations they are the only record of them during the period. It was published in parts between 1814 and 1825 and the completed work cost £60. This view of Poole, Dorset, from the book is taken from the nearby hills with the Purbeck Hills in the background. It is taken at a time just before the rapid development of the town in the industrial revolution and before nearby Bournemouth even existed as we know it, it was then just a scattered collection of cottages. Abbey Scenery 16; ODNB; Tooley 177.