Thurmer J.: “ Ansichten von Athen und seinen Denkmahlen nach der Natur gezeichet und radirt “. Rom 1823-1826 First and only edition. ELEPHANT FOLIO OBLONG 53x73cm,unbound text and plates as issued, six huge Folio pages of text (all published) explanation of plates (text in German and French) and nine of fifteen impressive (53x73cm) beautiful engraved plates with splendid unique views of Athens, including the two copper engraved panoramas of the publication, one sheet of text with two pinholes and two spots at the edges, one other sheet of text with very slight wear at the edges, one plate with two pinholes in the margin the image area not affected at all, one other plate with very light marginal water stain far from printed area, overall in very good condition, the magnificent plates almost fresh as issued. A MONUMENTAL PUBLICATION. Joseph Thurmer (1789-1833) a famous German architect and later professor in Dresden University, travelled in Greece in 1819-1820 and visited Athens. He spent months in the city measuring many of the monuments and producing fine views, just before the destruction of the city during the Revolution. Most of his detailed original plans and measurements of the antiquities of Athens seem to have perished during the bombardment of Dresden in WW2,but some still survive, in the original or early copies(a collection of manuscripts plans of several monuments of Athens, including manuscript measurements, notes and plans of Thurmer, from Thessio and the Parthenon, exist in a private collection in Santorin-Greece). Thurmer produced several fine drawings of the city of Athens and its monuments. With the start of the Revolution he had decided to publish several of his drawings. The publication, in monumental size, of the fine views started in Rome, in 1823 in fascicules, but only three fascicules had ever printed (up to 1826),with 15 plates in total, including two panoramas of the city. The scientific architectural measurements, the accuracy of the views and the precision of Thurmer panoramas of Athens are still essential for the understanding of the topography of late Ottoman city (Walter Judeich: Tpographie von Athen,2016).This monumental size publication never finished (no title has been printed, taken only from the wrappers) and the work was extremely rare even when published. Not in Atabey, Blackmer or any other known collection for the Levant, seems that no set has ever appeared, at least the last half century. Only five sets (some incomplete ) in public libraries worldwide. ALMOST UNOBTAINABLE SET