Lot 03072

Gamba, “Voyage dans la Russie Meridionale et particulierement dans les provinces du Caucase fait depuis 1820 jusque 1824”, Paris, 1826. First and only edition. Complete. 2 volumes of text in 8vo (21x13cm), 4 folding engraved maps and a folding plate (Atabey 475 the text, not in Blackmer) and the ATLAS in FOLIO 36x28cm with sixty (60), issued in livraisons, splendid plates, lithographed by the best French artists of the time (Engelmann, Bernard, Langlume et Normand) (Missing in Atabey, Not in Blackmer). Contemporary brown gilt calf over boards, some browning in the text volumes, Atlas in fine condition. Gamba (1763-1833) travelled extensively in the Black Sea area and the Caucasus. He was consul in Tiflis and the first who described in details the eastern Black Sea area, specially Georgia and Armenia. The first volume contains also another travel account in first edition by Dupre, the French consul in Trebizond, with title “Description de quelques villes et ports de la Mer Noir”, describing the Pontic coast and cities and a travel account through inner Pontos and Tokat to Sino. The ATLAS is the first ever to be published for the eastern Black sea area and a nice example of early lithography. Contains several fine early views of Black Sea ports and landscapes, an impressive (70x48cm) panorama of Tiflis and the 34 splendid folio costume plates, drawn by the famous painter Frederic Henri Chopin. All costume plates are fully contemporary hand-coloured, lithographed by Engelmann and are considered as the first ever realistic depictions of the people of the area. VERY RARE.