[Coaching Subjects]

London: R. Pollard & Sons, 1819. Five Wonderful Hand Colored Aquatint Coaching Plates by James Pollard

POLLARD, James. [Coaching Subjects]. London: R. Pollard & Sons, 1819-1823.

Folio (15 1/4 x 19 7/8 inches; 386 x 504 mm.). Five hand-colored aquatint plates by and after James Pollard. Sizes varying slightly from 14 1/2 x 18 3/4 to 15 1/4 x 19 7/8 inches. All tipped into an album and interleaved. First plate with very small (5/8 inch) repaired tear at upper blank margin, the second plate with some scattered stains, mainly marginal. All but the second plate watermarked "J. Whatman/Turkey Mill".

Bound ca. 1940s in quarter brown morocco over light brown buckram boards with dark blue morocco gilt cover label "Coaching: A Series of/Prints by James Pollard/London, 1819-1823", spine lettered in gilt, brown paper end-leaves. Bookplate of Joel Spitz on front paste-down. Housed in a light brown buckram slipcase. Fine.

The plates:

1. "Cottagers Hospitality to Travellers/Or the Coach Broke Down"
2. "Stage Coach Passengers/at Breakfast"
3. "Stage Coach"
4. "Tandem"
5. "Four in Hand"

Pollard's accomplished travelling scenes, published as separate engravings without title-page or running title. The first two, 'Cottagers Hospitality to Travellers' and 'Stage Coach Passengers at Breakfast' have the imprint of R. Pollard and Sons and date 27 March 1819; the pair are listed by Siltzer (p. 214) who notes that they were reissued in 1820 and 1824. The first of the two is also in the Mellon collection (Mellon/Snelgrove 35, p. 137). 'Tandem' and 'Four in Hand' are two of the three plates engraved by J. Gleadah and published by J. Watson in 1823 (Siltzer, p.216).

James Pollard (1792-1867) was a British painter noted for his mail coach, fox hunting and equine scenes.

Born in Baynes Spa Fields (later renamed Exmouth Street) in Islington, he was the son of the painter and publisher, Robert Pollard (1755-1838). Between 1821 and 1839, James Pollard exhibited at the Royal Academy. He exhibited at the British Institution in 1824 and 1844. During his career, he also worked with John Frederick Herring, Sr. on several horse racing paintings in which he painted the backgrounds and spectators while Herring painted the horses. Many of his compositions were published as aquatints, although, unlike his father, he engraved only a few plates himself.