Catalogue Raisonnée of Works on The Game of Chess

This is brief follow up to the previous article on George Walker's bibliographical works.

The Philidorian page 217

The `notice of Chess-books´ mentioned in Walker's introduction to his Bibliographical Catalogue in The Philidorian, London 1838, was entitled Catalogue Raisonnée of Works on The Game of Chess and was included in  the Bibliographical and Retrospective Miscellany published by John Wilson, London 1830. 

Bibliographical and Retrospective Miscellany page 25

The Catalogue Raisonnée was included on pages 25-32 but this is not mentioned in the list of contents due to a duplication of the pagination from 25 to 32.

The Bibliographical and Retrospective Miscellany is available on Google books.

However, there are also other digital copies of this book which do not include the Catalogue Raisonnée.

George Walker is not mentioned as the compiler but, from the introductory remarks and notes to the various entries, there can be little doubt that Walker was the author.

There are 27 entries, some with lengthy and detailed descriptions. The entry on the Traité theorique et pratique du jeu des Echecs is 35 lines long.

The entry on the Traité des Amateurs (page 29)

The entry on the Traité des Amateurs (page 30)

The final entry is Attalus and it is not clear whether the letter `A´ had been exhausted; there are no details of works about the Automaton, of von Kempelen, for example, (these being included under `A´ in later bibliographies). 

It is unfortunate that a full bibliography with  Walker's detailed comments was not published at this time. 

                                      © Michael Clapham 2016