An Essay on Trees in Landscape; or, an Attempt to shew the Propriety and Importance of Characteristic Expression in this Branch of Art, and the Means of Producing it: with Examples.

"Folio, (14 ¼ x 11 ¼ inches). Vignette title page, with the tipped-in imprint of Henry G. Bohn printed on paper. 4 fine folding engraved plates (some separation along folds), engraved frontispiece (detaching), 58 engraved full-page plates (spotted).Original publisher's green cloth, decorated in blind on both covers, the smooth spine in five gilt-ruled compartments, gilt lettered in one (binding loose, extremities worn with some loss, one or two stains). Provenance: With the contemporary ownership inscription of Edmund C. Evans to front pastedown, title page, and rear free endpaper. Second expanded edition, first published in 1815. The RARE Bohn edition, published posthumously with ADDITIONAL PLATES not published in the first edition. At age 15, Kennion was sent "to Mr. Fuller's academy in London, where he probably first learned drawing. In 1762 he sailed for Jamaica, and joined the expedition against the Havannah under Sir George Pococke and the Earl of Albemarle, in which John Kennion was commissary. After the capture of the place he returned to England for a time, but again went out to Jamaica in 1765 to superintend John Kennion's estates, and remained there almost continuously till July 1769, when he returned to England. By a commission dated 11 April of that year he was appointed an aide-de-camp, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel, to the commander-in-chief of the island. "On settling in England he engaged in trade in LondonAbout 1771 he had made the acquaintance of George Barret, R.A., and in the following years accompanied him on sketching tours. At Rydd-Green he occupied himself in making drawings for a book on landscape-painting which he had long contemplated. In 1784 appeared in 4to No. 1 of a work on remains of antiquity, which contained five perspective views of ancient castles on the Welsh border, and three ground plans engraved in line by R. Godfrey, with full descriptions by Kennion. The winters of 1787 and 1788 were passed in London, where he gave drawing lessons, and in 1789 he removed thither altogether, adopting the profession of a teacher and artist. He was admitted a member of the Society of Artists, and was a constant contributor of landscapes to its exhibitions, sending in all twenty-four works. He was also a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries. He exhibited eight landscapes at the Royal Academy between 1790 and 1807. Meanwhile he continued to work at his book on landscapes during frequent visits to the neighbourhood of Liverpool and the English lakes. In 1790 he etched eight plates as examples of the oak-tree, which were published with a preface as No. 1 of 'Elements of Landscape and Picturesque Beauty,' ob. 4to. The death of an uncle, Dr. Kennion, a Liverpool physician, in 1791, increased his resources, and in 1803 he issued a full prospectus of the proposed work. His project had expanded into an exhaustive treatise on the graphic art in 4 vols. He laboured at it conscientiously, and final arrangements were made for the publication of a first volume early in 1809. But before matters went further Kennion died suddenly in London on 14 April. He left a widow and four children. "Of all Kennion's collections for his large enterprise, An Essay on Trees in Landscape was alone found ready for press. This was issued in 1815, many of the plates being engraved or finished in aquatint and soft ground etching by his son Charles. The volume, which is in folio, contains fifty etched and aquatinted plates, a preface, a biographical notice, and forty-eight pages of letterpress. With a copy in the Manchester Free Library 'four large unpublished landscapes by Kennion, and six studies of trees beautifully etched by H. W. Williams,' were bound up in 1844. The four landscapes are soft ground etchings after Kennion by Vivares, folded on guards. There seems no reason to suppose the six studies were after Kennion's drawings. A soft ground etching (in the present writer's collection), numbered plate xxi, and dated 1 Dec. 17".…