La Terre Sainte, Son Histoire, Ses Souvenirs, Ses Sites, Ses Monuments
Paris: E. Plon et Cie, 1882. First edition. Hardcover. Elephant folio. [6], 468pp. Uncut. Original 3/4 red morocco over marbled paper covered boards, with gold lettering on spine. Raised bands. All edges gilt. Binding signed by A. Lenègre, Paris. Marbled endpapers. Ribbon marker. Engraved additional title, and title-page. Title in red and black lettering. First edition of this remarkable and pictorial work on the geographical, historical and archaeological description of the Holy Land. "La Terre Sainte" is profusely illustrated throughout with 22 striking steel-engravings (including a double-page plan of Jerusalem outlined in color), and 288 wood-engravings. This is the first part of a study which will be completed in 1884 by a second volume. Age-wear on binding with moderate rubbing along edges. Corners heavily rubbed. White staining along fore-edge and lower margin of back cover. Ribbon marker detached but present. Minor and sporadic foxing throughout (mainly along paper margin). Text in French. Binding in overall fair to good-, interior in good+ to very good condition. f to vg. Item #21206
About the author: ‘Victor-Honoré Guerin, who had once studied at the French archaeological school in Athens, was one of the better known French scholars to excavate in Palestine, which he visited seven times between 1854 and 1888. Although he did not distinguish himself by any great archaeological discovery, he was a prolific and widely-read writer in the subject. La Terre Sainte was a popular work based on his far longer Description géographique, historique et archéologique de la Palestine, the seven volumes of which appeared between 1868 and 1880. With its fine engravings and woodcuts and its vivid descriptions of Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, Galilee, Mount Hermon, Damascus, Palmyra, Baalbek, Petra, Sinai and Egypt, La Terre Sainte provided an attractive introduction to the latest archaeological discoveries and a guide to the Near East’ (Alastair Hamilton, Europe and the Arab world p. 192).
Price: $650.00