Author: TOWN (Mr.) [COLMAN (George) and THORNTON (Bonnell)]:
Title: The Connoisseur. By Mr. Town, Critic and Censor-General. The Four Edition.
Description: London: Printed for R. Baldwin..., [1761, 4 volumes. 12mo, 167 x 97 mms., pp. viii, 279 [280 blank]; vii , sic for viii], 279 [280 blank]; viii., 255 [256 blank]; viii, 278, contemporary calf, spines richly gilt in compartments, red and olive green labels; some brown of text and staining of margin of first few leaves in volume, front free end-paper volume 4 creased, joints a little tender, especially volume 1 front joint, but an attractive set. "In September 1753 his [Colman's] essay on literary criticism, 'A vision', was published anonymously in The Adventurer and January 1754 saw the first issue of The Connoisseur. This weekly publication, consisting largely of polished, lively, pleasantly satirical essays, was produced jointly by Colman and Bonnell Thornton and ran to 140 issues before it closed in September 1756. The editors personalized themselves jointly as 'Mr Town', and wrote most of the articles, although there were contributions by William Cowper (with whom he formed the Nonsense Club), Robert Lloyd, and others.... Colman's son (not a disinterested witness) suggests that Thornton was lazy, or drunk, and occasionally left the efficient Colman to repair his omissions. Johnson thought the periodical's essays on contemporary life 'wanted matter', but Boswell defended its 'just views of the surface of life, and … very sprightly manner' (Boswell, Life, 1.420) and the periodical was much reprinted" (Oxford DNB).

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