ETIENNE LEOPOLD TROUVELOT (French 1827-1895) The Astronomical Drawings Chromolithographs (15 plates) Each sheet: 28 x 38 inches / 71.12 x 96.52 cm Published by Charles Scibner's Sons, New York, 1882, reproduced from the original pastel drawings by Armstrong & Company, Riverside Press, Cambridge, MA. Edition of 300. Each signed as part of image: E L Trouvelot. This is an exceedingly rare publication of the most accurate depictions of celestial bodies as seen through the most modern telescopes of the period and preceded images produced later by the photographic dry plate. The transfer of Trouvelot's pastel renderings to chromolithographs was, at the time, without equal Note: Inside portfolio cover: Patented August 8th 1882.Condition: Portfolio cover binding in broken. Each sheet has discoloration, foxing and light creases and a few tears in the margins. The images are in very good condition a small area of surface soiling on Plate 1. All unframed, presented in portfolio. "Group of sun spots and veiled spots": A solid line of discoloration on the lower edge/ 1/2 x 1/2 inch loss on the left edge in the margins. "Solar Protuberances": light foxing in the margins, 1 3/4 inch tear from the center lower edge into the paper, 2 1/2 inch tear in the left margin, does not come near the image. "Total eclipse of the Sun": very light discoloration in the margins, with 5 inch horizontal crease in the right hand corner, 1/2 inch tear in the right edge. "Aurora Borealis" light discoloration, moisture stain in the lower right hand corner, with light foxing in the margins. "The Zodiacal Light": light discoloration and foxing in the margins, 2 1/2 x 5 inch diagonal moisture stain in the lower left hand corner, three heavy creases along the upper edge, 1 inch into the image center from the top 1/16 noticeable surface soiling. "Mare Humorum": heavy discoloration along the lower edge, light time staining and foxing in the margins, upper left hand edge 1 inch and 1/2 inch tear from the edge in, 1 1/2 inch tear along the lower right edge, visible moisture damage lower right corner. "Partial eclipse of the Moon": In comparison to the others this one is in very good condition, moisture damage lower and upper left corners and light foxing and time staining in the margins. "The Planet Mars": In overall good comparative condition, hardly any foxing or time staining, Moisture damage in the right hand corner and crease in the left upper and lower corners, 1 1/2 inch tear in the upper right hand corner. "The Planet Jupiter" heavy foxing in the upper left corner, moisture damage in the lower right and left corners, a few pressure dents in the image where a small piece of paper got between the papers and over the years created the dent, not affecting the colors. "The Planet Saturn": In overall good comparative condition, very light foxing and staining in the margins mainly on the right edge, moisture stain along the lower right edge. "The Great Comet of 1881": light staining and foxing in the margins, 1 1/2 x 1/2 inch discoloration in the upper right, moisture damage in the upper left corner, 3 1/2 inch vertical crease along the lower left edge, 1 1/2 inch tear from the right edge, 1 x 1/4 inch dent in the paper within the image lower center right hand side the colors not affected. "The November Meteors": foxing and time staining in the margins, the image is clean, moisture stain lower and upper left corners. "Part of the Milky Way": moisture damage upper right and lower left hand corners, general light time staining and foxing in the margins, up from the lower edge right hand side 2 inch tear in the margin, 3/4 inch tear and 1/2 inch along bottom edge, from the upper edge 6 inches into the image center extremely faint abrasion line (3 inches long), 2 inches into the image from the lower edge 1/4 inch paper dent. "Star Cluster in Hercules" In overall comparative condition, moisture stain lower right hand corner, crease lower left hand corner with minimal time staining and foxing in the margins, 1/4 x 1/4 inch area of paper loss lower left hand side edge. "The Great Nebula in Orion": In the background within the image there are faint lines and dots in our opinion could be from the ink constricting over the years, light foxing and time staining in the margins, moisture damage in the lower right, heavy creasing in upper left corner with paper loss.