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Voyage aux Régions Équinoctiales du Nouveau Continent fait en 1799-1804. Paris: 1810-1833.
Details
HUMBOLDT, Friedrich Wilhelm Heinrich Alexander, Baron von (1769-1859) and Aim Jacques Alexandre BONPLAND (1773-1858)
Voyage aux Régions Équinoctiales du Nouveau Continent fait en 1799-1804. Paris: 1810-1833.
Humboldt’s monumental work on Central and South America, comprising elements of the first, second and fourth parts, including five volumes of the rare Atlas Géographique et Physique preserved in their original livraison covers.
The journey of Humboldt and Bonpland through Central and South America is one of the great explorations of the American continent, and opened up the South American Continent to scientific explorers of the 19th century. His expedition was ‘fundamental to the development of the sciences of physical geography and meteorology, and he made important contributions to the studies of ethnicity and culture’ (Hill). Humboldt, biologist, geographer and cosmic scientist, managed to obtain two audiences with King Charles IV, who was impressed by his knowledge of geology and minerals, and soon received a special passport from the Spanish government, stating that he had been requested to collect minerals and plants on a journey to Cuba, Mexico, New Granada (Colombia), Peru, Chile and Buenos Aires, permitting him to use any Spanish ship; Bonpland was declared to be his secretary. The two scientists embarked in the frigate Pizarro from Corunna for the New World in June 1799, arriving at Cumaná in Venezuela the following month, and at Caracas in February 1800.
Their explorations in the Americas lasted 5 years and covered three regions. The first journey began at Caracas where the party spent 4 months travelling south to the river Orinoco, and from there down the river to its source, a plateau watershed, where the Casaquaire river meets the Orinocco, and goes on to join the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon on the border with Brazil, thus forming a continuous waterway, a unique example of the confluence of two vast river basins in the centre of a continent. The party collected numerous botanical specimens on the trip, many of which failed to survive the damp and the insects. However on their return down the Orinocco they set off for Cuba, where two plant collections were despatched to the Natural Science Museum in Madrid, and a collection of exotic animals from the rainforest to the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Whilst at sea numerous astronomical observations were carried out. In 1801 they set off overland, travelling up the Magdelena river, to Bogota crossing the Cordilleras and exploring the northern Andes. They reached Quito on 6th January 1802, ascended Chimborazo (18,000 feet high) and investigated the headstream of the Amazon, descending to Lima, from where they sailed via Guayaquil to Acapulco on the west coast of Mexico arriving in March 1803. The expedition made its headquarters in Mexico City, travelling around Mexico and gathering information for almost a year. In March 1804 they departed for Cuba, returning to Bordeaux via Philadelphia where Humboldt met Jefferson, arriving back in France in August. Immediately after his return to Paris, Humboldt commenced work on his account and results of his travels.
The publishing history is bibliographically quite complicated. The set in its full form published under Humboldt's direction totalled 30 volumes, 20 in folio, 10 in large quarto, to which should be added five supplementary volumes by other authors. Publication was in fascicules by a consortium of publishers: Gide, Schoell, Dufour and Maze, and later Fuchs, Gide Fils, Gide & Band, and Levrault. The project was fantastically expensive and involved approximately 50 artists, engravers, cartographers and scientists, whose fees were all paid by Humboldt himself, although he did receive some subventions from the French and Prussian governments. The work is reputed to have cost twice as much as the Description de l'Egypte published by the French government in 20 volumes at a cost of 3 million francs. The edition was small and the French, Russian, Prussian and Austrian governments all subscribed to a number of copies for distribution to university and school libraries. Even during the course of the publication, some volumes went out-of-print and it was difficult to complete sets.
13 volumes only, of which 7 quarto and 6 folio (see measurements below). A total of 154 engraved plates and maps, many coloured, and 4 folding letterpress tables. Provenance: Liverpool Athenaeum (several bindings, ink stamps to plates, the 2 Astronomiques volumes evidently acquired as early as January 1828, according to a pencil note by then librarian John Jones).
Comprising:
Première Partie:.
1. Relation Historique. Paris: J. Smith for (vol. I) F. Schoell, (vol. II) N. Maze or (vol. III) [Smith and Gide], 1814-[1825]. 3 volumes, quarto (334 x 253mm). 1 engraved map, 4 folding letterpress tables, part half-titles and titles and general half-titles and titles to vols. I & II, leaf 63.3 in vol. II in two states (lacking half-titles and titles in vol. III, some light spotting). Late 19th-century brown half morocco over marbled boards, spines lettered in gilt (extremities faintly rubbed).
2. Vues des Cordillères, et monumens des peuples de l'Amérique. Paris: J.H.Stône for F. Schoell, 1810 [but 1813]. Folio (578 x 418mm). Part half-title, title, general half-title and title, engraved dedication to Ennius Quirinus Visconti, 16pp. introduction dated April 1813, 69 engraved, etched or aquatint plates on 68 leaves, 6 printed in sepia, several hand-coloured or printed in colours and finished by hand, one of these double-page (occasional light spotting). Contemporary quarter red morocco over grey paper boards (somewhat rubbed, upper board detached).
3. Atlas Géographique et Physique des régions équinoxiales du Nouveau Continent. Paris: A. Pihan de la Forest, 1814-1825. 5 livraisons only, folio (580 x 420mm). Comprising: Premiere: part half-title and title, general half-title and title, plates 1, 15, 18, 19, and 28; deuxieme: plates 2, 16, 19 [this in duplicate from premiere livraison], 20, 29, and engraved ‘Humanitas’ frontispiece; Troisieme: plates 4, 17, 21, and 30; quatrieme: plates 6, 23, 24 and 26; cinquième: plates 3, 9, 13, 14 and 22. Publisher’s card covers, string ties, printed paper labels to upper covers of livraisons 1 and 3-5 (loss to lower corner of first part, somewhat rubbed).
Seconde Partie:
Recueil d'Observations de Zoologie et d'Anatomie Comparée. Paris: (vol. I) J. H. Stône for F. Schoell and G. Dufour or (vol. II) J. Smith for J. Smith and Gide, 1811-1833. 2 volumes, quarto (335 x 251mm). Dedication to George Cuvier. 58 engraved plates including 2 numbered XLVIII by Bouquet and others, many printed in colours and finished by hand, part half-titles and titles to both vols., general title in vol. I (vol. I lacking general half-title, occasional spotting). Late 19th-century brown half morocco over marbled boards, spines lettered in gilt (extremities faintly rubbed).
Quatrième Partie:
Recueil d'Óbservations Astronomiques, d'Opérations Trigonométriques et de Mesures Barométriques... rédigées et calculées... par Jabbo Oltmanns. Paris: J. H. Stône for F. Schoell, 1810. 2 volumes, quarto (350 x 260mm). 2 engraved plates, part half-titles and titles in both vols., general half-title and title in vol. II (lacking general title and half-title in vol. I, a few leaves lightly dust-soiled, scattered faint spotting). Contemporary red quarter morocco over grained paper boards, possibly by Tessier [remains of binder's ticket to pastedown of vol. I], spines gilt; largely unopened (faintly rubbed and darkened).
Voyage aux Régions Équinoctiales du Nouveau Continent fait en 1799-1804. Paris: 1810-1833.
Humboldt’s monumental work on Central and South America, comprising elements of the first, second and fourth parts, including five volumes of the rare Atlas Géographique et Physique preserved in their original livraison covers.
The journey of Humboldt and Bonpland through Central and South America is one of the great explorations of the American continent, and opened up the South American Continent to scientific explorers of the 19th century. His expedition was ‘fundamental to the development of the sciences of physical geography and meteorology, and he made important contributions to the studies of ethnicity and culture’ (Hill). Humboldt, biologist, geographer and cosmic scientist, managed to obtain two audiences with King Charles IV, who was impressed by his knowledge of geology and minerals, and soon received a special passport from the Spanish government, stating that he had been requested to collect minerals and plants on a journey to Cuba, Mexico, New Granada (Colombia), Peru, Chile and Buenos Aires, permitting him to use any Spanish ship; Bonpland was declared to be his secretary. The two scientists embarked in the frigate Pizarro from Corunna for the New World in June 1799, arriving at Cumaná in Venezuela the following month, and at Caracas in February 1800.
Their explorations in the Americas lasted 5 years and covered three regions. The first journey began at Caracas where the party spent 4 months travelling south to the river Orinoco, and from there down the river to its source, a plateau watershed, where the Casaquaire river meets the Orinocco, and goes on to join the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon on the border with Brazil, thus forming a continuous waterway, a unique example of the confluence of two vast river basins in the centre of a continent. The party collected numerous botanical specimens on the trip, many of which failed to survive the damp and the insects. However on their return down the Orinocco they set off for Cuba, where two plant collections were despatched to the Natural Science Museum in Madrid, and a collection of exotic animals from the rainforest to the Jardin des Plantes in Paris. Whilst at sea numerous astronomical observations were carried out. In 1801 they set off overland, travelling up the Magdelena river, to Bogota crossing the Cordilleras and exploring the northern Andes. They reached Quito on 6th January 1802, ascended Chimborazo (18,000 feet high) and investigated the headstream of the Amazon, descending to Lima, from where they sailed via Guayaquil to Acapulco on the west coast of Mexico arriving in March 1803. The expedition made its headquarters in Mexico City, travelling around Mexico and gathering information for almost a year. In March 1804 they departed for Cuba, returning to Bordeaux via Philadelphia where Humboldt met Jefferson, arriving back in France in August. Immediately after his return to Paris, Humboldt commenced work on his account and results of his travels.
The publishing history is bibliographically quite complicated. The set in its full form published under Humboldt's direction totalled 30 volumes, 20 in folio, 10 in large quarto, to which should be added five supplementary volumes by other authors. Publication was in fascicules by a consortium of publishers: Gide, Schoell, Dufour and Maze, and later Fuchs, Gide Fils, Gide & Band, and Levrault. The project was fantastically expensive and involved approximately 50 artists, engravers, cartographers and scientists, whose fees were all paid by Humboldt himself, although he did receive some subventions from the French and Prussian governments. The work is reputed to have cost twice as much as the Description de l'Egypte published by the French government in 20 volumes at a cost of 3 million francs. The edition was small and the French, Russian, Prussian and Austrian governments all subscribed to a number of copies for distribution to university and school libraries. Even during the course of the publication, some volumes went out-of-print and it was difficult to complete sets.
13 volumes only, of which 7 quarto and 6 folio (see measurements below). A total of 154 engraved plates and maps, many coloured, and 4 folding letterpress tables. Provenance: Liverpool Athenaeum (several bindings, ink stamps to plates, the 2 Astronomiques volumes evidently acquired as early as January 1828, according to a pencil note by then librarian John Jones).
Comprising:
Première Partie:.
1. Relation Historique. Paris: J. Smith for (vol. I) F. Schoell, (vol. II) N. Maze or (vol. III) [Smith and Gide], 1814-[1825]. 3 volumes, quarto (334 x 253mm). 1 engraved map, 4 folding letterpress tables, part half-titles and titles and general half-titles and titles to vols. I & II, leaf 63.3 in vol. II in two states (lacking half-titles and titles in vol. III, some light spotting). Late 19th-century brown half morocco over marbled boards, spines lettered in gilt (extremities faintly rubbed).
2. Vues des Cordillères, et monumens des peuples de l'Amérique. Paris: J.H.Stône for F. Schoell, 1810 [but 1813]. Folio (578 x 418mm). Part half-title, title, general half-title and title, engraved dedication to Ennius Quirinus Visconti, 16pp. introduction dated April 1813, 69 engraved, etched or aquatint plates on 68 leaves, 6 printed in sepia, several hand-coloured or printed in colours and finished by hand, one of these double-page (occasional light spotting). Contemporary quarter red morocco over grey paper boards (somewhat rubbed, upper board detached).
3. Atlas Géographique et Physique des régions équinoxiales du Nouveau Continent. Paris: A. Pihan de la Forest, 1814-1825. 5 livraisons only, folio (580 x 420mm). Comprising: Premiere: part half-title and title, general half-title and title, plates 1, 15, 18, 19, and 28; deuxieme: plates 2, 16, 19 [this in duplicate from premiere livraison], 20, 29, and engraved ‘Humanitas’ frontispiece; Troisieme: plates 4, 17, 21, and 30; quatrieme: plates 6, 23, 24 and 26; cinquième: plates 3, 9, 13, 14 and 22. Publisher’s card covers, string ties, printed paper labels to upper covers of livraisons 1 and 3-5 (loss to lower corner of first part, somewhat rubbed).
Seconde Partie:
Recueil d'Observations de Zoologie et d'Anatomie Comparée. Paris: (vol. I) J. H. Stône for F. Schoell and G. Dufour or (vol. II) J. Smith for J. Smith and Gide, 1811-1833. 2 volumes, quarto (335 x 251mm). Dedication to George Cuvier. 58 engraved plates including 2 numbered XLVIII by Bouquet and others, many printed in colours and finished by hand, part half-titles and titles to both vols., general title in vol. I (vol. I lacking general half-title, occasional spotting). Late 19th-century brown half morocco over marbled boards, spines lettered in gilt (extremities faintly rubbed).
Quatrième Partie:
Recueil d'Óbservations Astronomiques, d'Opérations Trigonométriques et de Mesures Barométriques... rédigées et calculées... par Jabbo Oltmanns. Paris: J. H. Stône for F. Schoell, 1810. 2 volumes, quarto (350 x 260mm). 2 engraved plates, part half-titles and titles in both vols., general half-title and title in vol. II (lacking general title and half-title in vol. I, a few leaves lightly dust-soiled, scattered faint spotting). Contemporary red quarter morocco over grained paper boards, possibly by Tessier [remains of binder's ticket to pastedown of vol. I], spines gilt; largely unopened (faintly rubbed and darkened).
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