Abel Du Petit-Thouars. Voyage Autour du Monde sur la Frégate la Vénus pendant les années 1836-1839, publié par ordre du Roi, sous les auspices du Ministre de la Marine, par M. Abel du Petit-Thouars, Capitaine de vaisseau, Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur. Paris: Gide, 1840-1845. [Together with:] Voyage autour du Monde sur la Frégate La Vénus, pendant les années 1836-1839, publié par ordre du Roi, sous les auspices du ministre de la marine...Atlas Pittoresque. Paris: Gide, Éditeur, 1841.
First edition. Four octavo volumes (approximately 9 x 5.875 inches; 230 x 149 mm.) plus elephant folio atlas volume (21 x 13.375 inches; 533 x 343 mm.). [4], xliv, 402; [4], 464; [4], 490, [2, table]; [4], 178 pages. Last gathering in Volume III misbound. Volume I with five tables (three folding); Volume II with one table; Volume III with five tables (three folding); and Volume IV with one large folding table at end. Atlas volume with sixty-eight fine lithographed plates printed by Thierry Frères, Paris, including seventeen hand-colored lithographed costume plates by P. (or F.) Blanchard, after Massenet Frères, and Mesnard; twenty-six lithographed views on India paper mounted, by Bichebois, Sabatier, and Émile Lassalle, after Bayot, Ménard (or Mesnard), J. Masselot, and Moerenhout; twenty-four tinted lithographed views and panoramas, by Sabatier, after Mary, and Ménard (or Mesnard); an engraved "Plan de la ville de Sydney en 1838;" and a large hand-colored folding lithographed "Carte générale du globe, sur laquelle est tracé l'itinéraire de la frégate."
Text volumes bound in contemporary quarter navy roan over navy morocco-grain paper-covered boards. Spines ruled, decoratively tooled, and lettered in gilt, with four slightly raised bands; sprinkled edges; marbled endpapers. Atlas volume bound in contemporary quarter green calf over green marbled boards with green vellum tips. Rebacked, with original spine laid down. Smooth spine ruled in gilt and blind with two black leather gilt lettering labels. Binding rubbed, with some scratch marks and surface loss to marbled paper. Some foxing and browning to both text volumes and atlas, the foxing mostly marginal in the atlas. An excellent set.
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