Labern's New Comic Song Book

[1852]. 72pp. Originally issued in card wrappers, this copy has been subsequently rebound in strong cloth-covered boards (with the original wrappers bound in). Boards very slightly rubbed on corners. Some toning to edge worn pages, a few marks and small creases. Includes the colour printed, foldout frontispiece (showing Knuckledown Fair), so often missing. John Labern, himself a popular music hall performer, collected popular, bawdy songs of his day. The first indication of his prominence comes from the appearance of his works in contemporary periodicals, but collections of his songs were first published by John Duncombe, who was otherwise known for pornographic publications. An extremely rare survival.