FIRST EDITION, first issue. Parts 1-8 [Complete], 4to, 40 hand-stippled, coloured aquatint plates, numbered 1-40 without titles, each bearing Ackermann’s imprint, 8pp. Ackermann catalogue bound in at end of Part 8, the whole bound by Riviere in full morocco with red and blue inlays of two women on front cover, wide decorated borders, five raised bands, two gilt lettered and gilt decorated and ruled compartments, gilt ruled and decorative dentelles, green moire silk doublures, original wrappers to each volume bound in to preserve. Professionally repaired with re-backed spine and hinges. Housed in a cloth solander box. Bookplate 'John William Ray Crawford'. Tooley 437 quoting the 8 volume in one issue of 1817; not listed in Hardie. This should not be confused with the World in Miniature which Ackermann issued in 42 volumes. As indicated in the title, this work was to be for the aid of artists, turning increasingly at this period to painting landscape scenery. It has been suggested that this growth in interest for landscape coincided with, and was almost certainly a result of, the growth of manufacturing, and thus the development and growth of the towns and cities, their inhabitants feeling ever more remote from nature and replacing the reality by depiction. Rebinding and restoration work on this book was carried out by Ron Norman of Hartlepool (Ronnorn@aol.com) Coloured plates in order: Part 1. 1. Man on horseback / Soldiers fighting / Family following a man on crutches. 2. Fishmonger selling his wares in a village. 3. Baby being passed around a group of ladies / People dancing / Shipwrights mending boats. 4. Smitten couple sitting outside a tavern (with onlookers) / Man on horseback embracing a women outside a tent / A loving couple sitting on a fence by a river. 5. An elderly lady inspecting cloth / Farmyard scene. Part 2. 6. People drinking, dancing, playing music. 7. Men inspecting a travel trunk / People drinking outside a tavern. 8. Man inspecting fresh seafood, offered by a girl / People watching a running race / Vegetable pickers. 9. Man mending pots and pans / Hay-makers / People sitting on a riverbank. 10. Various people sit by the sea; an elderly couple; younger couple; lady selling her wares from a basket. Part 3. 11. Man selling toys to a crowd of onlookers / Hunting party, with carriages / Milkmaid, cows and an admirer. 12. Carriage pulled up by an Inn / People come across a dead man by the sea / Military officers, tend a wounded fellow officer. 13. Man whips his horse, whilst standing in his carriage. 14. Amateur Dramatics. 15. People out boating, and sitting by a riverbank. Part 4. 16. Farm labourers washing potatoes, and loading grain onto a wagon. 17. Lady ready to go to market, with her husband to sell Poultry. 18. Couples stroll around a lake, taking in the sights / Couples sit and converse on grass, other people play skittles. 19. High Street scene outside a tavern. 20. Officer Soldiers take farewell of their young ladies / Officer lets his horses drink from a stream. Watches by two local young ladies. Part 5. 21. Ladies talk to a pub landlord while sitting in their carriage. 22. A coach, full of passengers, travels past a ruined castle. 23. People loading sacks onto a cart from a wharehouse. 24. High Street scene. 25. People crossing a bridge, people and trade on the river. Part 6. 26. Man selling wine. 27. A crowd of people outside a tavern. Groom attending to a horse for his squire. 28. Ladies wait in a carriage for a gentleman to take his leave, on the doorstep, of his sweetheart. 29. Fishermen trawling at sea / Fishermen hauling in their nets ashore. 30. An outdoor scene of social and merry activities. Part 7. 31. Fishermen, selling fish, mending their boats etc. 32. A village scene. 33. A horse and cart, full of people, stop by a style and allow more people to step aboard. 34. A lively outdoor feast at a village Inn. 35. A boatman helps two ladies out of his row boat. Part 8. 36. A work break in a stables. 37. Men trawling a river with a net, with two ladies looking on from the riverbank. 38. Priest delivering his sermon from his pulpit to his congregation. 39. Chaos at a country horse race meeting. 40. Bullock cart pulling a barrel.