The only complete copy on the market for decades

Luynes, Honoré d'Albert de. Voyage d'exploration à la mer Morte, à Petra et sur la rive gauche du Jourdain. Oeuvre posthume.

Paris, Arthus Bertrand, [1874].

3 vols. and 1 vol of plates. (2), II ff., 388 pp. (6), 222, (6) pp. (4), VI, 326 pp. With 14 lithogr. plates (4 in colour). Printed original wrappers. Folio (390 x 295 mm). Atlas: (4) pp., 85 plates (some double-page-sized), including 65 photogravures by Charles Nègre after Louis Vignes. Original half cloth portfolio. Ties.

 35,000.00

Rare travel report describing the scientific expedition to Palestine undertaken by the French archaeologist de Luynes (1802-67) in 1864. First edition, very rarely encountered complete: only two copies sold at international auctions during the past decades (both incomplete; the last set wanting plate 44: Sotheby's, 15 Oct. 2003, lot 676, GBP 8500; only 40 plates from the set, including glass and collodium negatives, fetched 21,450 EUR at Sotheby's Paris, 22 March 2003, lot 583).

The work is sought for its splendid illustrations based on photos by Henri Sauvaire and the Naval Lieutenant Louis Vignes. Vol. 1 contains the Duke's travel diary; vol. 2 contains the reports "De Petra à Palmyre" by L. Vignes and "Voyage de Jérusalem, à Karak et à Chaubak" by Mauss and Sauvaire; vol. 3 contains the "Géologie" by L. Lartet (with its own set of plates at the end). The atlas is divided into two parts with a total of 85 plates (thus complete): 67 plates pertain to the Duke's report (3 unnumbered and 64 numbered: 1 map and 1 itinerary in colours, 1 engr. double plate, and 64 photogravures by Charles Nègre after photos by Vignes (views of sites, towns, ruins, etc.); Mauss's report is illustrated by 18 numbered plates: 1 double-page-sized itinerary, 3 plans (2 in colour), and 14 lithogr. plates by Cicéri after photos by Vignes and Sauvaire (views of Karak, Zat-Raz, etc.).

Occasional slight foxing (esp. in vol. 3); plates clean and spotless throughout. A fine, complete set in the original printed wrappers as issued; text vols. are uncut and wide-margined.

References

Röhricht (Bibl. Pal.) 515f., no. 2824. Röhricht (Pilgerreisen) 637, no. 872. Henze III, 312. Parr/Badger, The Photobook I, 33.