LONDON; A DESCRIPTIVE POEM

New-York; Baltimore: Samuel Wood and Sons; Samuel S. Wood & Co, 1820. Very good.. First US edition of this chapbook poem about the sights and sounds (and smells) of the UK's capital city. This first US edition was published by the prominent New York firm Samuel Wood and Sons around nine years after its English predecessor. With locations in both New York and Baltimore, Samuel Wood chapbooks made their way up and down the East Coast, but many fell victim to the overzealous reading habits of children; "the wonder is that and specimens of early American children's books are in existence today" marvels A. S. W. Rosenbach (xxvii). OCLC locates only one holding. 5.25'' x 4''. Original stiff brown wrappers. Six full-page black-and-white wood engravings. 32 pages, with ads to rear wrapper. Wrapper with some scuffing and a couple spots of soil; small portions of loss to outer paper at spine. Leaves with scattered foxing and a couple small spots of soil. A solid copy.