CHORIS, Louis (1795-1828). Voyage pittoresque autour du monde...1822

CHORIS, Louis (1795-1828)

Voyage pittoresque autour du monde, avec des portraits de sauvages d'Amérique, d'Asie, d'Afrique, et des iles du Grand Ocean; des paysages, des vues maritimes, et plusieurs objets d'histoire naturelle.Accompagné de descriptions par M. le Baron Cuvier, et M. A. de Chamisso, et d'observations sur les cranes humaines par M. le docteur Gall

Folio (17 x 10 inches) :

Dedication, lithographic frontispiece portrait of Romanzoff and 104 hand-colored plates from drawings by the author, or after the author by Adam, Franquelin, Norblin Morlet and de Chamisso, folding map with route traced in color, 2 further maps on one leaf bound at end of volume (some spotting and browning).

Contemporary French half red morocco, smooth spine gilt, marbled boards. 

"ONE OF THE VERY VALUABLE AND FUNDAMENTAL WORKS ON ALASKA, CALIFORNIA, AND THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS" (Lada-Mocarski). VERY RARE FULLY COLORED COPY OF THE FIRST EDITION of Choris's splendid plates to illustrate Kotzebue's world voyage of 1815-1818 on which he was expedition artist. Essentially, this is an illustrated album recording only the most memorable facts of the voyage but with full explanations of the plates--more of which relate to California, Hawaii, Kamchatka and Alaska than any other work of the period--and the Philippines, Chile and Easter Island. 

Choris's album is highly prized for its beauty and its historical record. Forbes writes that it contains "a final and very beautiful pictorial examination of the Hawaiian Islands and of Hawaiian culture as it existed prior to the death of Kamehameha I in 1819, and prior to the abolition of the 'kapu' or feudal system following the king's death."

 REFERENCES: Brunet I:1851 (calling for 110 plates); Forbes 541; Hill 290; Howes C-397; Lada-Mocarski 84; Peters California on Stone pp. 97-98; Sabin 12884; Streeter sale IV:2461.