This Cruikshank set is titled "The Comic Almanack, An Ephemeris In Jest And Earnest, Containing Merry Tales, Humorous Poetry, Quips And Oddities. By Thackeray, Albert Smith, Gilbert A. Beckett, The Brothers Mayhew. With many Hundred Illustrations By George Cruikshank, And Other Artists", published in London by Chatto And Windus at Piccadilly. This four-volume set in book form contains the whole series for the Comic Almanack: The first two volumes contain the First Series, 1835 to 1843, and the second two volumes contain the Second Series, 1844 to 1853, and that completes the run from 1835 to 1853. It was first issued in 1835 and came out in monthly parts, and Cruikshank served as the principle illustrator for most of the annual's nineteen years. Cruikshank's sharp satire lampooned British and European politics and society for most of the early nineteenth century; not even King George IV was spared, and the king went so far as to bribe Cruikshank not to lampoon the king to save himself from any further ridicule. Cruikshank ridiculed Whig and Tory alike, and his cartoons and illustrations became very popular with the public. He later cast his talent toward creating illustrations for books as well as championing social causes, and the plates of The Comic Almanack are depictions of everyday life in London. David Bogue published the first monthly parts starting in 1835; there is no date of publication stated for this edition by Chatto and Windus, but it is generally believed the first edition published by Chatto & Windus was in early 1880, and the style of binding here would confirm that. Each volume is 3/4 bound, with five raised bands, six gilt-ruled compartments, and gilt lettering and gilt devices on the spine, with marbled boards and endpapers, there's a small Estes & Lauriat bookseller label on the last blank endpaper of each volume, and all the edges are marbled. Volume I has the Preliminary page after the title page, followed by 206 pages of text and illustrations; Volume II runs from page 208 to 388; Volume III runs from page 2 to 250; and Volume IV runs from page 252 to page 427, with a comical advertisement on page 428 to close out the Second Series. All five fold-out plates are present as called for - Volume III has the fold-out plate before the title page and Volume IV has the four other fold-out plates (on pages 255, 302, 358, and after the regular plate on 384), and all the regular Cruikshank plates and illustrations are present, as called for. Each of the four volumes measure 7 1/2 x 5 1/4 in. wide, and the large fold-out plate at the beginning of Volume III and on page 302 in Volume IV have wear on one edge, otherwise the other fold-out plates are in great condition, and the regular plates and illustrations by Cruikshank are in great condition too - very clean and bright. All the bindings are tight, with just moderate rubbing at the crown and heel and at the tips on the four volumes. There aren't many complete sets in the parts or in book form offered online, so this is a scarce set filled to the brim with illustrations by George Cruikshank. #62 #1651