1846. 4to; with 14 engraved plates, four incorporating transparencies, all quite vibrantly coloured both mechanically and by hand, one card with printed text on verso; all cards somewhat soiled and browned due to use and paper quality, with signs of use, with light dampstaining to the ‘Latitude’ plate, and more prominent wear and creasing to the plate relating to ‘Longitude’; loosely inserted within contemporary maroon cloth portfolio, ruled in blind, with title in gilt on upper cover, inner gutter paper cracked and worn with some loss, spine sunned and lightly worn with small loss at lower joint, covers generally scuffed and lightly worn; with various ownership signatures on portfolio pastedowns attesting to the work having gone through a number of owners, including a gift presentation from Gladys Jones to Miss F Whitaker dated 1916; despite wear, a good set. An appealing, though presumed mixed set, of this elementary introduction to astronomy, one of several series of affordable, vibrantly coloured educational aids for children, to be used at home, in the class-room and elsewhere: a striking example of Victorian ‘infographics’, from the publishing firm widely acknowledged to have mastered the genre, that of James Reynolds.
Born in Islington, Reynolds father was a printer. Setting himself up in the Strand, James seems to have started business in around 1825, and went on to produce over many years a vast array of instructive and educational material, in a variety of large and smaller formats, ranging from standard maps and atlases, thematic maps on topics such as astronomy, geology, zoology and botany, tidal charts, physical maps, meteorological maps and much more. Very much an innovator in his field, though operating at the cheaper end of the market, his work was always reliable and accurate, and he routinely employed distinguished geographers such as Ernest George Ravenstein (1834-1913) and the geologist Professor John Morris (1810-1886) to advise on his diagrams. These could be purchased either in portfolio sets (usually of 12 cards, though that could vary), or individually for 1s. to enable the user to compile their own personal collection on subjects of their choice. Issued on stiff card, the majority of the diagrams were coloured (either by hand or later mechanically), and several cleverly incorporated transparencies. All beautifully executed, they were predominantly engraved by John Emslie, with whom Reynolds formed a productive, successful and enduring partnership. Their first joint production was the set of astronomical cards, issued sometime around 1846, and which proved so popular it was reprinted for decades. Reynolds was an adept and re-active publisher, who constantly revised his various publications, and provided them in a number of different and flexible formats to meet demand. Emslie went on to win a prize medal for his educational diagrams at the International Exhibition of 1862. Their publications captured the interest of the burgeoning middle classes of Victorian England, with many more parents interested in buying educational books for their children. The drive for worker’s and women’s education no doubt also fuelled demand. Reynold’s works vividly reflect the growing flowering of ‘infographics’ that emerged during the Victorian era, as the industrialisation of printing made it easier and cheaper to create books with detailed colour illustrations.
Perhaps his most famous and iconic series, this set of 'Astronomical Diagrams' is bound in a maroon cloth portfolio. Finding complete portfolios is increasingly uncommon, and it would perhaps be slightly naïve to assume that what appears to be a complete set, in fact contain the cards as originally purchased. One can well imagine that some ‘judicious’ swapping may have gone on over the years, and having handled a number of sets over recent years, it is our belief that the present set seems to include cards ranging in publication date. Though none of the cards are dated, varying imprints and differing typography employed suggest some of the cards are later in date - notably the ‘View of the Moon’. The plates are: 1. The Chart of the Heavens (transparent); 2. Transparent Solar System; 3. Transparent Diagram of the Phases of the Moon; 4. Comparative Magnitudes of the Planets (particularly striking) 5. The Sun and Solar Phenomena; 6. Comets and Aerolites (a variant to the one held previously); 7. The Earth and its Atmosphere; 8. The Seasons; 9. Eclipses (somewhat faded); 10. The Earth's Annual Revolution round the Sun; 11. Diagram of Meteorology (with explanatory text on verso); 12. Methods of Ascertaining the Longitude (somewhat worn around extremities); 13. Methods of Ascertaining the Latitude (with some slight dampstaining); and 14. View of the Moon (seemingly a later example).