John Martin Bernatz. Scenes in Ethiopia. Designed from Nature. By John Martin Bernatz, Artist to the British Missi...

Click the image to load the highest resolution version.

Sold on Feb 11, 2010 for:

Sign-in or Join (free & quick)

Get one of these:

Share this lot

Track Item Printable Auction Results

Sell One of These

Description

Auction Info

Guides & Info

Description

Tinted Lithographs

John Martin Bernatz. Scenes in Ethiopia. Designed from Nature. By John Martin Bernatz, Artist to the British Mission to the Court of Shoa. With Descriptions of the Plates, and Extracts from a Journal of Travel in that Country. In Two Volumes. Volume I.-The Lowlands of the Danakil. Volume II.-The Highlands of Shoa. London: Bradbury and Evans, 1852.

First edition. Two oblong folio volumes bound in one. Collates thusly: blank (splitting along lower gutter), Description of the Plates, pictorial title page, printed title page, two dedication leaves, Preface, List of Plates, text and plates I-XXIV (with one double-page plate), Description of Plates "The Title" leading into Volume II, List of Plates, text and plates I-XXIV (with plates XV and XVI separated by a blank/heavy tissue), map, blank. Forty-eight (i.e. forty-seven, including double-page plate) colored and tinted lithographs, each preceded by a page of descriptive text. Foxing to all text and plate leaves.

Handsome modern binding in half morocco over cloth boards. Raised bands to spine. Leather title label to top board with gilt lettering. Silk ties. All edges gilt. Shallow creases to some leaves. Text page for plate V (Volume I) has repaired tear along bottom margin. Text page for Plate XXI (Volume II) has dampstain along fore-edge. Text page for Plate XXIII (Volume II) has one and one-half-inch closed tear at bottom edge. Moderate to heavy foxing throughout, affecting all leaves. Bookplate to front pastedown. A beautiful book in very good condition.

During the years 1841-1843 John Martin Bernatz served under the then Captain William Cornwallis Harris on a mission through Ethiopia to solidify trade negotiations with Great Britain. From the Professor John Ralph Willis Collection of Rare Africana.

Gay, 2586.