The Illustrated London News. Volume I, I-XXXIV (Saturday, 14 May - Saturday, 31 December, 1842). (34 ISSUES. Vol. 1, 1-34). [FIRST ISSUE, FIRST COMPLETE VOLUME, FIRST COMPLETE YEAR].

London, William Little, 1843 (i.e. 1842).. 1st Edition . Hardcover. .. The paper's first 34 issues bound in one volume. Imperial folio. Paginated consecutively. Pp. vi, 554. Illustrated throughout. HARDCOVER, bound in the original publisher's half calf and marbled boards, spine decorated, lettered and dated in gilt, sides gilt ruled; binding rubbed & chafed in places, worn in places, restored in places, withal a good binding; few closed tears without loss at bottom of leaves. In a very good condition. Overall a well preserved, tightly bound, clean, presentable copy. ~ FIRST EDITION. The paper's first issue, first complete volume, first complete year. Published as a volume with Title, Preface and Index, in 7 January, 1843. Rare survivor, a landmark in the history of journalism. The Illustrated London News was the world's first illustrated weekly newspaper. The first issue, 16 pages with 32 woodcuts, appeared on Saturday, 14 May, 1842, marking a revolution in journalism and news reporting. Completely exceeding the publishers' expectations, it had to be reprinted several times that day; the issue went through five reprints and sold 26,000 copies; the present issue is of the fourth printing. (Issues 4-8; 10-16; 18-20; 24; 27; 28; 30; 34 are first reprint; issue no. 2 is 3rd reprint; no. 9 is 2nd reprint.) Five issues later, it was time for jubilation: "Probably, in the whole annals of Newspaper History, the triumphant success of 'The Illustrated London News' is without a parallel; it has received from the public a welcome, warmer and wider than we could anticipated even in the buoyant enthusiasm of our first ambition. From the length and breadth of the Empire we have received the most flattering testimonials." The present volume contains all first 34 issues and a Supplement. Each issue is stamped at bottom with the legendary red Tax Stamp. Also present is Issue no. 15, a rare collectible in itself, which appeared with the erroneous header "No. 10, July 16" instead of "No. 15, August 20". It is neatly corrected here by contemporary hand. Y-1