Elegant picturesque views

St. Michael's Mount

[1786]

Special Collections Shoults Ec/1786/B

London : printed for Alex. Hogg

While Boswell's impressive volume is more historical and topographical than Gilpin or Combe, his title reveals the emphasis readers and publishers placed on the 'views'. The 'pleasing effect' of St. Michael's Mount and its 'agreeable' situation with its 'pleasant and extensive' 'prospect' are not archaeologically or strategically significant, but they certainly make this remote corner of the kingdom worthy of a visit by the discerning tourist. Most of the descriptions of English sites first appeared in the London Magazine from 1747 to 1760.

Hogg, Alexander, active 1778-1819

Published in 100 parts, unpaginated, and 11 additional parts, numbered 16-25 and 27, signed A-L and paginated 1-42, entitled 'A general history of antient castles, forts, &c.', together with a preface, list of subscribers, and a list of plates.

Historical descriptions of new and elegant picturesque views of the antiquities of England and Wales: being a grand copper-plate repository of elegance, taste, and entertainment. ... accompanied by elegant letter-press descriptions of the several places delineated: ... To which will be added, ... seats of the nobility and gentry ; ... Published under the inspection of Henry Boswell, ... assisted by Robert Hamilton, L.L.D. and other ingenious gentlemen ...