[Drawn & engraved by William Henry Pyne.]
Published by William Miller, Albemarle Street Jan.y 1. 1805.
Aquatint with fine hand colour. Sheet 360 x 255mm (14¼ x 10"), with 2pp. letterpress. Trimmed within plate.
A fireman working for the Sun Fire Office, standing before a fire engine. The letterpress records the history of insurance, five instances where fire nearly destroyed London, the fireman's uniform and the abilities of the fire engine. From 'The Costume of Great Britain', a book containing 60 plates of people at work and scenes of everyday life. William Henry Pyne (1769-1843), the son of a London weaver who became an artist and writer, was commissioned to write and illustrate the book by the publisher, William Miller of Albermarle Street, London. The illustrations are particularly notable as they portray British life on the eve of the Industrial Revolution.
Abbey Life 430.
[Ref: 52044]  £140.00