Annals Of Sporting and Fancy Gazette, a Magazine Entirely Appropriated to Sporting Subjects and Fancy Pursuits

Vol. 12: July to December 1827

Includes engraving of the Charvolant Kite-Carriage
Sherwood and Co, London, 1827
8vo format (14 x 22 cm)
Endpapers present
(2), 1-352; 25-120 printed pages
Additionally with Turf Herald for 1827 at rear (pages 25 to 120 only)
With 13 engraved plates:
1) Too Hot to Hold (dog)
2) The Charvolant or Kite-Carriage
3) White Grouse or Ptarmigan
4) Fleur de Lis (horse)
5) Pewets or Lapwings
6) Duke of Grafton (portrait)
7) The Doncaster Gold Cup for 1827
8) Lord Rivers (portrait)
9) Fallow Deer
10) Sam, A Celebrated Pointer
11) The Chase is Over (hunting scene)
12) Wild Boar
13) Little Billy. A Celebrated Bull-Dog

Engraved headpieces at the beginning of each part with further engraved vignettes in the text
Ink ownership stamps of Thomas McKenzie to front endpapers
Contemporary calf over marbled boards, spine decorated in gilt, extremities a little rubbed, boards slightly marked and scuffed
Signatures to the back of 4 plates, showing through very slightly but only on the margins
Top corner of text and plates slightly knocked, with some creasing
Binding and text solid, a near VG copy

In 1826, (George Pocock) patented the design of his "Charvolant" buggy. This used two kites on single line 1,500 to 1,800 feet (457–459 m) long to provide enough power to draw along a buggy carrying several passengers at considerable speed, similar to the modern sport of kite buggying. In his book, The Aeropleustic Art or Navigation in the Air by the use of Kites, or Buoyant Sails, Pocock records that it performed at the rate of 20 miles an hour (32 km/h) over considerable distances and that a mile could frequently be covered even over heavy roads in 2¾ minutes. A group of three Charvolants made a trip of 113 miles (182 km) together, and on a run between Bristol and Marlborough one of the buggies sailed past the mail coach, which at the time was the fastest passenger transport. On another trip, a Charvolant passed the coach of the Duke of Gloucester, a breach of etiquette that was considered so rude that the occupants had to stop to let the Duke pass them. (wikipedia)