SURTEES, Robert Smith; LEECH, John, illustrator — Mr. Sponge's Sporting Tour

London: Bradbury and Evans,, 1853-54. A Very Good Set In the Original Monthly Parts With Thirteen Hand-Colored Steel-Engraved Plates by John Leech SURTEES, Robert Smith. LEECH, John, illustrator. Mr. Sponge's Sporting Tour. With illustrations by John Leech. London: Bradbury and Evans, March 1853 - October 1854. First edition in the original parts. Octavo (8 3/4 x 5 5/8 in; 223 x 144 mm). x, [2], 408, pp. Thirteen hand-colored steel-engraved plates, heightened with gum arabic. Thirteen hand-colored etched plates, numerous black and white woodcut illustrations. With most advertisements as called for by Tooley. Lacking "Allsopp's Ale" 4 pp. in part VII and "Handley Cross, Childs History.." 8 pp. in part XII/XIII. Some of the wrappers have variant advertisements on inside wrappers. Publisher's original red-brown pictorial wrappers, expertly rebacked. A very good set. Chemised and housed in a red cloth clamshell case with black leather spine label lettered in gilt. Provenance: Van Santvoord Merle-Smith (1889-1943) was a United States soldier, lawyer, and investment banker, who served as Third Assistant Secretary of State from 1920 to 1921, and as Executive Intelligence Officer to General Douglas MacArthur during World War II. Sadleir 3166; Tooley 476. .