[VENNING, Mary] (author). A Geographical Present Being Descriptions of the Principal Countries of The World: with Representations of the Various Inhabitants In Their Respective Costumes. Beautifully Coloured. London Printed for Darton, Harvey And Darton, Gracechurch-Street. 1817

8vo. Original red horizontally ribbed red calf-backed buff boards, spine ruled in gilt with gilt lettering, all edges speckled blue; pp. [8], 120, [i.e 142]; extravagantly illustrated with a total of 60 hand-coloured engraved plates; externally with age-soiling to boards, small wear to forecorners, rubbing to spine, slim loss of leather to 20mm of upper joint, and cracking to tail (15mm); internally unusually clean with some uniform age-toning to stock throughout and some thumbing and marking, a couple of gatherings proud, but firm, but a very good, sound, and complete copy; scarce in first printing.

First edition with the following important distinctions: without the author’s name on the title, it is included in later editions of this work; with the following unnumbered pages inserted in the text: 6pp (Europe) before p. [1]; 4pp. (Asia) between pages 48 and 49; 4 pages (Africa) between pages 72 and 73, and 8pp. (America) between pages 96 and 97, c.f. The Dartons: An Annotated Check-List by Lawrence Darton, G975.

This was a popular, yet luxurious, educational book for the young, by a woman writer, in the second decade of the nineteenth century. Mary Anne Venning went on to establish her credentials as a serious and scientific writer for youth with her “Rudiments of Conchology” (1826), again published for children, which sought to compare the taxonomic systems of Linnaeus and Lamarch. “Geographical Present” is a much more digestible read, although imbued with the racially stereotypical attitudes of the day.