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. Published by Paris: Imprimerie de Firmin Didot, 1822-[1823]., 1822

Folio (17 x 10 inches) :

Dedication, lithographic frontispiece portrait of Romanzoff and 104 hand-colored plates from drawings by the author, folding map with route traced in color, 2 further maps on one leaf bound at end of volum

BOUND WITH: Vues et paysages des régions équinoxiales, recueillis dans un voyage autour du monde, avec une introduction et un texte explicatif. Paris: Paul Renouard, 1826. Folio: half-title, 2 dedication leaves, and 24 hand-colored lithographed plates. All bound in contemporary French red quarter morocco, smooth spine gilt, marbled boards, uncut (rebacked preserving original spine, board extremities a bit worn). PROVENANCE: Peter Decker, his sale Parke Bernet, 18 Nov. 1969, lot 102; bookplates of Frank Sherwin Streeter (1918-2006), Collection of Important Navigation, Pacific Voyages, Cartography and Science.

"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."