Voyage autour du monde sur la Frégate La Vénus pendant les annees 1836-1839... Atlas Pittoresque...
Paris: Gide, 1841. An extremely crisp copy of the "Atlas Pittoresque" to this voyage, one of the rarest French voyages to include Australia and the account of the stay in California in 1837 is "one of the most important and complete records of the Mexican period in California" (Hill.)
A goal of the voyage was to assert French presence in the Pacific; scientific investigations were also carried out. The Venus visited Brazil, Chile, Peru, Honolulu, Kamchatka; Baja California, Mexico; the Galapagos Islands, Easter Islands, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. "The atlas is noted for its magnificent panoramic views of ports and anchorages, each printed on two or more sheets... (The plates)... depict costumes of various peoples and were issued with hand coloring. All other plates were issued uncolored. A tan-tone plate was added to many of the views." (Forbes 1198, pp 241-242).
The majority of the volume is in pristine condition. These include plates of South America, incl. Rio de Janeiro, images of Hawaii, Kamchatka, California, Mazatlan, the four San Blas panoramas, Easter Island, the two Payta panoramas, Peruvian people, Marquesas, Tahiti, New Zealand, the Sydney Harbor print, the Sydney plan, the two panoramas of Cape of Good Hope.
Some of the panoramas are faintly foxed. This may be because of the paper they were printed on, as we have seen this in these images in the past. Those affected are Oahu,
Mazatlan, San Blas, Acapulco, Galapagos and Sydney. There is also light foxing on the title and prelims.
The map "Carte Generale du Globe Pour servir au voyage de circumnavigation de la Fregate La Venus, Sous le commandement de M. Du Petit-Thouars Capitaine de Vaisseau, Commandeur de la Legion d'honneur 1836-1839" is loosely inserted in the back. As there is a caption below the neatline, we assume this is a later edition of the map issued by the French Depot de la Marine. Below bottom margin, "Cette Carte est la copie de celle du Depot de la Marine dressee par mr. C. I. Gressier, Ingenieur hydrographe".
Large folio, (54.5 x 35.5 cm), half-title, 3pp. Table des planches, engraved plan of Sydney and 67 lithographed plates, 17 hand-colored, fine panoramic views. Engraved folding world map with route of the voyage, backed on acid free paper, folded and loosely inserted. Bound in period black gilt calf and marbled boards. Slt split in top of front outer hinge, slt rubbing at extremes.
Hill 518; Forbes 1198; Howes P267; Howgego, II D38; Ferguson 2970; Sabin 21354.
Overall, an especially good copy of the Atlas Pittoresque to this far-ranging voyage. Item #28464
Price: $35,000.00