Hand-coloured aquatints, uncut, plates all unsigned, but with imprint 'London, Publish'd [date] by T. Woodfall,' except no.1, of Tunbridge Wells, April 1804 and no.3, which omits the address but gives the date; contemporary blue boards, re-backed, modern quarter black morocco and marbled paper box, five raised bands in gilt with a floral motif, lettered in gilt to the second, fourth and sixth compartments. An excellent copy. Written to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the Georgian Playhouse. Continental counterpart works and actors were one of the conference's themes. This 1805 Theatric Tourist is doubly rare. Not only have few copies survived, but it is the only account of the British Theatre compiled by a theatre manager and author, and artist. The work has never been reprinted. The plates of venues on tour include Tunbridge, Bath, Reading, Brighton, Richmond, Portsmouth, Lewes [...] Winchester, and Norwich and are dated 1804-1805. Winston was born James Bown. In 1773 he was orphaned and inherited a fortune from his grandfather in 1796. Under the name of James Neville, he bought the Newbury Theatre in Richmond and married actress Frances Mary Villars. This theatre was not a success, and he moved on to Weymouth and Plymouth, becoming a joint owner in the latter in 1803. It was at this stage that the Theatric Tourist was published in 1804. only 24 plates in 8 parts appeared; the author had anticipated 300. The literary style is idiosyncratic, researched by Winston and edited by Edward J. Longley. As a description of the Georgian playhouse in its Golden Age, The Theatric Tourist is invaluable and entertaining. Coloured plates in order: 1. Bath. 2. Andover. 3. Margate. 4. Tunbridge Wells. 5. Reading. 6. Brighton. 7. Richmond. 8. Newbury. 9. Portsmouth. 10. Grantham. 11. Lewes. 12. Exeter. 13. Newcastle. 14. Edmonton. 15. Maidstone. 16. Liverpool. 17. Windsor. 18. Chichester. 19. Birmingham. 20. Manchester. 21. Southampton. 22. Plymouth. 23. Winchester. 24. Norwich.