William Hodgson Etchings (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: no dj, as issued. Book of plates from the French quarto edition of Captain Cook's second voyage. Published in Paris in 1778. --- --- First French Edition, very good Just the plates from the French edition of James Cook's second voyage, "Voyage dans l'hemisphère austral, et autour du monde, fait sur les vaisseaux de roi, L'Aventure, et La Résolution, en 1772, 1773, 1774 & 1775," based on the etchings of William Hodgson who accompanied Cook on his second voyage to find the Terra Australis. 65 (of 66) engraved plates. Including frontispiece, 14 maps, of which 8 are folding. 47 plates and 3 plans. 28x22.5 cm (11x9"). 32 of the 64 maps and plates are fold-outs, the largest is a map that folds out to a size of 22" x 20" (56x51cm). All are undamaged Book of plates from the French quarto edition of Captain Cook's second voyage. Published in Paris in 1778. Quarto format, original binding, with 64 (of 65) maps and plates in series, lacking the second plate. With two plates numbered 10 (one a bis plate) and duplicate of plate 50. Three of the maps are heavily browned, some wear of the bindings, three plates are loose, but overall in astounding condition. The heavy paper is still white, without foxing or spotting. The plates have either been taken from the 4 volumes of the 5-volume 1778 French edition: COOK, Captain James (1728-1779). Voyage dans l'hémisphère austral, et autour du monde. Paris: Hôtel de Thou, 1778. 5 volumes, 4° (252 x 186mm). (The maps and plates were in the following volumes: vol. 1 plates 1 - 17, vol 2 plates 18 -37, vol 3 plates 38 - 58, vol 4 plates 59 - 65, vol 5 no plates.) Or from an alternate format of the same edition, that had text only volumes and all maps and illustration in a separate Atlas volume. This copy has no title page and a spine label that says "Voyage de Cook - Atlas" First complete French edition of the description of Cook's second voyage. An octavo edition comprising 6 volumes of text was published at the same time. --- --- The second voyage, which was mainly devoted to the exploration of a presumed southern continent, the expedition also represented the first scientific research voyage to the southern polar region and led to the discovery of the southern Sandwich Islands. It should be noted that the French printing techniques displayed here were believed to be more refined than those of the English. The plates with views, natives, plants, birds, implements, weapons. William Hodgson (etchings) (illustrator).…