In darkest Africa

Stanley

Verlag: Low, Marston, Searle

Beschreibung

STANLEY, Henry. M, In Darkest Africa, or the quest, rescue, and retreat of Emin, Governor of Equatoria. First edition. 1890. Sampson, Low, Marston, Searle and Rivington. Printed by Clowes and Sons. This is the very rare subscribers edition (see below). Two volumes bound in six parts ( divisions ), numerous woodcut illustrations (see below), three folding maps, original pictorial cloth, still bright red, somewhat discoloured on the spine. 18x26 cm., thus slightly bigger than the two-volume edition. 5,5 kgs. Some soiling to some back-covers. Top and bottom of spines worn. Fresh, clean condition inside with foxing spots. Spine and front cover with gold lettering. Three remarkable fold-out maps in mint condition (very slight tear to the third). Only significant defect: all six volumes are equally slightly bent (see third photo) and therefore offered at a sharply reduced price. First edition 1890. Same contents and page count as in the two-volume edition but the present 6 volume edition announces 15 more woodcuts, ie 165, on the front page of Vol.1 and even 20 more, ie 170, on the frontis of Vol. 2 curiously bound-in at the end of the 6th volume. In reality, the list of illustrations, found in divisions 4 and 6, contain the details of 61 full page illustrations and of 105 other illustrations, for a total of 166…Perhaps yet another example of the haste with which the book was prepared for publication (a couple of pages bound upside down, also see below). Main artists of the woodcuts: Montbard, Forestier, Riou and Schonberg. Main engravers: Cooper and Barbant. This is an extraordinary account, well written, of an equally extraordinary journey to the heart of Africa , the dark continent . First published in 1890 with great success and quickly translated into ten languages, this work describes Stanley s expedition to rescue Emin Pasha, the beleaguered governor of Equatoria. Its description of a tremendously difficult journey evokes the then enormous unchartered territories of Central Africa, reading in large part as an adventure story (which it was). Stanley, who was a former journalist, rises to the occasion as an author, describing not only the dangers of the journey but also shows an apparently genuine interest in the customs of the indigenous population. This work has been described as a literary masterpiece , describing a continent still largely uncharted and his encounters with the indigenous tribes. He seems to provide an unvarnished description of the realities of colonial exploration and the trials faced by both the explorers and the native inhabitants but the degree of partiality, if any, is, of course, difficult to establish. An exceptional insight into the fauna and flora, landscape and people of Africa in the late 19th century. From the author s and publishers note to Vol.II (contained in division 4…) : Bearing in mind that the first line of this work was written in the Hotel Villa Victoria, Cairo, the 25th day of January of this year (1890); that the Author worked continuously for fifty days, averaging over twenty printed pages a day; that the first portion of the manuscript was placed in the printer s hands on the 12th of March, and the last proof-sheet returned for press on the 3rd of June…Messrs. Clowes ((the printers)), whose names we mention last, are far from being the least entitled to gratitude . This is of course an elegant way of deflecting criticism of some minor errors of publication. This edition appeared in a slightly larger format than that of the two-volume trade edition and also contains several more illustrations (see above). The first leaf in the first division contains under the heading 'This leaf not to be bound with the Volume the note: 'Conditions of Publication. This edition, specially prepared for subscription only, will be completed in Twenty-two parts, at 2s. each, or in Six Divisions, cloth gilt, at 9s. each, and is not obtainable from the ordinary Booksellers'. Richly illustrated. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers ABE-1728736462794

Bibliografische Details

Titel: In darkest Africa

Verlag: Low, Marston, Searle

Einband: Couverture rigide

Zustand: Bon