(Early English) Sandham, E[lizabeth], Author of "The Twin Sisters," "Britannicus," "Chosroes and Heraclius," &c. &c. &c. THE HISTORY OF ELIZABETH WOODVILLE; OR THE WARS OF THE HOUSES OF YORK AND LANCASTER. London: E. Wallis, 42, Skinner Street, Snow Hill, 1822. FIRST EDITION. 12mo, 7-1/16" x 4-1/4" (180 x 108 mm). Collating 146 pp., followed by [2] pp. of publisher's advertisements at the rear. Complete with 12 unnumbered leaves of plates, each containing two distinct illustrative scenes for a total of 24 hand-colored engravings. Bound in the original publisher’s quarter red roan leather backed yellow paper-covered boards, with the spine titled and decorated elaborately in gilt.
The physical condition of this volume is graded VERY GOOD using the standard antiquarian book grading scale for works on paper; the binding remains structurally sound, exhibiting routine rubbing to the exterior edges, the head and tail of the spine, and minor shelf wear to the corners with light, uniform soiling to the yellow paper boards. Internally, the plain endpapers are preserved, and the text block remains remarkably tight, showing only a trifle of light period foxing restricted for what remains a bright, clean, and highly acceptable example of this fragile Regency production.
Regency Moral Education and Historical Juvenilia
This exceptionally scarce historical narrative represents a premier example of early nineteenth-century English educational literature designed specifically for a young audience. Penned by Elizabeth Sandham, one of the most successful and prolific female children’s authors of the late Georgian and Regency eras, the work reflects the period’s shift toward blending rigorous historical instruction with engaging moral narrative. Moving away from fairy tales, which contemporary educational theorists like Sarah Trimmer actively discouraged, Sandham utilizes the tumultuous biography of Elizabeth Woodville (c. 1437–1492) to introduce young minds to the political mechanics of the Wars of the Roses.
The narrative carefully maps the tragic intersections of the Houses of York and Lancaster, culminating in the strategic union of Elizabeth of York and King Henry VII on January 18, 1486. Sandham uses this critical dynastic alliance to trace the genesis of the House of Tudor, explicitly drawing lines for her young readers up to the death of Queen Elizabeth I in 1603. By framing massive geopolitical shifts through the domestic and maternal trials of England's queens and princesses, Sandham constructed an immersive historical curriculum that emphasized endurance, piety, and the providential resolution of civil conflict.
Illustration Mechanics and Publisher Intention
The physical production mechanics underscore the high-end commercial strategy of the publisher, Edward Wallis, a prominent London mapmaker, puzzle designer, and bookseller specializing in educational amusements. To compete in the crowded London juvenile market, Wallis enhanced Sandham's text by incorporating twelve full-page plate leaves. Each leaf displays two copper-engraved narrative windows stacked vertically, resulting in twenty-four scenes. In this premier variant, each illustration has been meticulously washed with contemporary hand-coloring, utilizing vibrant period pigments to capture the heraldry, military dress, and royal costuming of the late medieval period. Because these works were extensively handled in schoolrooms and domestic nurseries, copies with the hand-coloring intact and free from juvenile scribbling or severe structural tearing are remarkably scarce.
A BEAUTIFULLY PRESERVED 1822 REGENCY JUVENILE HISTORICAL NARRATIVE REVEALING A PIVOTAL CONVERGENCE OF THE EDUCATIONAL AND HISTORICAL CONTRIBUTIONS OF EARLY NINETEENTH-CENTURY FEMALE AUTHORS, HAND-COLORED COPPER ENGRAVING TECHNIQUES, AND PROGRESSIVE GEORGIAN PEDAGOGICAL METHODOLOGY, CONSTITUTING A PARAMOUNT ARTIFACT FOR ADVANCED RESEARCH INTO THE HOUSE OF TUDOR'S HISTORIOGRAPHY, THE WALLIS PUBLISHING FAMILY HISTORY, AND THE EVOLUTION OF HISTORICAL FICTION FOR CHILDREN, REPRESENTING A DISTINGUISHED ACQUISITION FOR INSTITUTIONAL RESEARCH ARCHIVES OR EXTRAORDINARY PRIVATE COLLECTIONS DEVOTED TO EARLY ENGLISH JUVENILIA.
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