1850 Scarce Book - Stories About Dogs by Thomas Bingley and Thomas Landseer

Author: Thomas Bingley. Illustrated from drawings by Thomas Landseer.
Title: Stories About Dogs: Illustrative of Their Instinct, Sagacity and Fidelity.
Publisher: New York, Cornish, Lamport & Co., No. 8 Park Place. Undated 1850. (gift inscription dated 1856; mid-19th-century American edition). First thus.
Language: Text in English. 
Size: 5.5 x 4.5 inches. 
Pages: viii-159 pages.
Binding: Very good, handsome publisher’s original decorative green cloth binding, richly blind-stamped to the boards, with gilt title ornament to the upper cover and gilt titling to the spine (hinges fine, overall slightly worn and scuffed - as shown) under a protective removable mylar cover. A charming mid-Victorian edition, retaining its period character.
Content: Very good content (bright, tight and clean, some light foxing - as shown, a period gift inscription on the front endpaper reads: “Fannie Job Springer, Augusta, Maine, 1856” — a delightful trace of provenance - as shown). The text is complete and sound, with no loose pages.
Illustrations: Complete with 9 engravings after the drawings of Thomas Landseer, whose finely observed depictions of dogs lend warmth and character to the narratives.

Estimate: (Scarce with no or few other copies available for sale worldwide).

The book: A charming mid-19th-century children’s volume celebrating the intelligence, loyalty, and remarkable instincts of dogs through a series of moral, sentimental, and anecdotal tales. Structured as conversations across “Evenings” with “Uncle Thomas,” the book presents stories of different breeds — from St. Bernards and Newfoundland dogs to Greyhounds, Terriers, and Shepherd dogs — each narrative illustrating courage, devotion, and the enduring companionship between humans and dogs. This Cornish, Lamport & Co. New York printing is an appealing American edition of a popular Victorian animal-literature classic, enhanced by fine steel engravings after Thomas Landseer.

The author: Thomas Bingley (fl. 1830s–1850s) was a prolific writer and compiler of didactic juvenile literature, known especially for his natural-history themed titles such as Stories About Instinct and Tales of Shipwrecks. His works combined moral instruction with engaging storytelling, reflecting the Victorian belief in literature as both educational and edifying for young readers.

The illustrator: Thomas Landseer (1795–1880), brother of the celebrated painter Sir Edwin Landseer, was a skilled engraver and animal artist in his own right. His engravings are notable for their sensitivity and expressive observation of animal character, qualities that greatly enrich the emotional tone and appeal of this volume.