The History of the Town and County of the Town of Galway, From the Earliest Period to the Present Time, Embellished with Several Engravings .... by Hardiman (James) - 1820

Dublin: Printed By W. Folds and Sons, 1820. First Edition., 1820. Book. Good. Half-Leather. First Printing of the First Edition. 4to. Half-calf & marbled boards. Rebound, the original spine laid down. xvi + 320 + lvi + 4 pp. Frontispiece & 10 plates, and three vignettes in the text. Ownership inscription of 1850 on a preliminary blank leaf, pen notation on title regarding the author's death, clippings from an 18th century newspaper tipped in at page 177. The frontispiece map has been mounted on linen cloth, and exhibits a few wrinkles and a repaired tear in the lower margin which affects "The" in the title. The large map at page 30 is incomplete: only the one-eighth portion which naturally lies within the covers is present, and that part backed with heavy paper, with some paper tape reinforcement on the rear (a reproduction of the entire map is present, measuring about 17 x 13 inches; the full map originally measured 19 x 21 inches). The large folding map at page 278 has had some tears repaired with archival tape, and has had the lower two-thirds backed with shiny white stock. The plates and maps all show moderate foxing and some offsetting, the foxing principally at the edges. A couple of the preface leaves have been torn across and repaired with some skill; the final preface leaf, containing a "Postscript concerning the Engravings", is present in a second copy, somewhat cropped, which is bound in after the preface. Seven blank leaves are bound in at the end. A few marginal stains, but otherwise a very good copy, internally quite fresh for the most part. The spine of the book has scrapes and small flaws..