Rummical Rhymes

Rummical Rhymes, with Pictures to Match, Set Forth in Fayre Prospect, Alphabetically & Geographically. London: Dean & Son, 1863. [The British Library dates it to 1864, others 1860.]

American edition, according to Arthur Deex: New York: Hurd Houghton, 1862.

From the description of the book at Aleph-Bet:

ABC. (LIMERICKS) RUMMICAL RHYMES WITH PICTURES TO MATCH SET FORTH IN FAYRE PROSPECT ALPHABETICALLY AND GEOGRAPHICALLY. Lond. Dean & Son. (11 Ludgate Hill) circa 1860. 8vo, [24]p. + cover, stiff pictorial wraps, old neat re-spining and corner of cover rubbed else VG+. Each letter of the alphabet has a nonsensical limerick involving the name of a town beginning with the particular letter (I and J, U and V are combined two to a page). “There was a young lady of Cork, Who declining to eat with a Fork, Her fingers would use, And the feelings abuse, of the delicate people of Cork.” Printed on one side of the paper, each page has a large 3-color illustration, signed by JB [actually JVB].

In an advertisement for “Dean’s Novelties for 1865” in The Bookseller of 30 September 1864, the book is attributed to J.V. Barrett, who illustrated several books for Dean’s at this time.

The texts might be Charles Henry Ross’s, the author of the other “companion” books mentioned on the British-edition cover, see e.g. Roundabout Rhymes & Roundabout Stories with Square About Pictures by CHR. London: Dean & Son 65 Ludgate Hill, E.C., which mentions “Comical Rhymes,” “Rummical Rhymes,” “Jollical Rhymes,” “Blue Pictures,” “Black Jokes,” and “Ye Book of Pictures..” All of these have the same red and black layout, all the pictures in Roundabout Rhymes are signed CHR.

Most of the pictures below are from an incomplete copy auctioned on eBay.