1849. 4to; with 12 engraved plates, four incorporating transparencies, one with accompanying die-cut ‘movable’ card disc, one with two volvelles attached by thread; 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 and a few small marginal nicks with more prominent wear to the ‘Chart of the Heavens’, with the accompanying card overlay torn with slight loss ; loosely inserted within contemporary black cloth portfolio, ruled in blind, with title in gilt on upper cover, head and tail of spine neatly repaired, covers lightly stained and scuffed; with contemporary signature on front pastedown ‘12 diagrams, Mary Lucy Shee’; 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. Perhaps his most famous and iconic series, this set of 'Astronomical Diagrams' is bound in a black cloth portfolio, and includes the less common ‘Geographical diagram of the earth adapted for illustrating its movement’ which includes to partially coloured volvelles. 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, and one can well imagine that some ‘judicious’ swapping may have gone on over time. Having handled a number of sets over recent years, the present set appears to include earlier issue of the cards.
The plates are: 1. The Chart of the Heavens (transparent) together with the accompanying card overlay ‘Movable Horizon arranged for the chart of the heavens’ (though overlay worn with slight loss; 2. Geographical diagram of the earth adapted for illustrating its movement, (with two partially coloured volvelles). 3. Transparent Solar System; 4. Transparent Diagram of the Phases of the Moon; 5. Comparative Magnitudes of the Planets (particularly striking) 6. The Sun and Solar Phenomena (earlier imprint without the line ‘diameter of the sun 853000 miles distance from the earth 91000000 miles and imprint reading J. Reynolds as opposed to James Reynolds and Sons seen on later versions); 7. Comets (earlier issue - later variants included aerolites); 8. The Earth and its Atmosphere (earlier issue dated March 10th 1849); 9. The Seasons (variant issue printed in sepia); 10. Eclipses (variant issue printed in sepioa); 11. The Earth's Annual Revolution round the Sun; 12. Diagram of Meteorology (with explanatory text on verso).
Born in Islington, and the son of a printer, James Reynolds seems to have started business in around 1825, setting up in the Strand. The firm went on to produce a vast array of instructive and educational material over many years, 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.