Illustrations Of The Passes Of The Alps, By Which Italy Communicates With France, Switzerland, And Germany. By William Brockedon, Member Of The Academy Of Fine Arts At Florence. Volume The First, Containing The Little Saint Bernard, The Mont Genèvre, The Mont Cenis, The Mont Gothard, The Great Saint Bernard, And The Monte Stelvio. (Volume The Second, Containing The Cornice, The Grimsel And The Gries, The Bernardin And The Splugen, The Brenner, The Tende And The Argentière, And The Simplon.)
London:: Printed For The Author, 11, Caroline Street, Bedford Square; And Sold By Rodwell, New Bond Street; J. And A. Arch, Cornhill; Carpenter And Son, Bond Street; Colnaghi And Son, Pall Mall East; F.G. Moon, Threadneedle Street; Simpkin And Marshall, Stationers' Court; And Walther, Brydges Street, Strand. -, M.DCCC.XXVIII. (- M.DCCC.XXIX.)
Physical Description
2 vols.; 561 mm.
General Note
Vol. I: [6], 14, 15, [1], 16, 16, 16, 14 p., [54] pl. (not carrying numbers but listed as six groups of nine). (But in the Royal Academy's copy there are 102 pl. - each plate except the maps being printed in two states.) - Vol. II: [4], 16, 12, 16, 16, 16, 28 p., [55] pl. (not carrying numbers but listed as five groups of nine and one group of ten). (But in the Royal Academy's copy there are 103 pl. - each plate except the maps being printed in two states.)
Contents
Vol. I: [T.p., dedic.] - The Plates Contained In Volume The First - [Texts and plates]. - Vol. II: [T.p.] - The Plates Contained In Volume The Second - [Texts (with colophon) and plates].
Responsibility Note
Most plates are signed as drawn by W. Brockedon and engraved by Edward Finden, Robt. Brandard, J.C. Varrall, C. Westwood, Jas. Redaway, J.T. Willmore, Thos. Jeavons, W. Wallis, S. Rawle, J. Kernot or J. Cousen. The maps are signed as drawn by W. Brockedon and engraved by A. Arrowsmith or L. Arrowsmith - except that the last map is captioned as drawn and engraved by L. Arrowsmith.
Most plates are blind-stamped 'Passes Of The Alps WB'. The maps and one plate carry the publisher's imprint of Rodwell for the Proprietor.
In the Royal Academy's copy each steel-engraved plate is preceded by a printing of the same plate in an early etched state. Several of these carry the name of the etcher (the same names as the engravers). Where both the etching and the steel-engraving are signed the signatures are usually the same, but in one case the etching is signed by J. Smith and its engraving by E. Finden.
The printer is named on the title-page versos and in the colophon of Vol. II: 'London: J. Moyes, Took's Court, Chancery Lane.'
The work is dedicated by William Brockedon to the Venerable Robert Hurrell Froude.
References
Royal Institute of British Architects, British Architectural Library ... Early printed books, I (1994), no. 430, p. 262-3.
Summary Note
In the imprint of Vol. II the author's address is changed from '11, Caroline Street, Bedford Square' to '29, Devonshire Street'. Some plates carry dates - of 1827 or 1828 in Volume I, and of 1828 or 1829 in Volume II.
The plates show views of the various routes through or round the Alps. Each volume has six sets of nine plates, the first plate in each set forming a divisional title-plate and the last a map of one of the routes. In Volume II the last set has ten plates, the additional plate being a map of the whole area of the Alps. The plates are steel-engravings, apart from the maps, which are copper-plates.
In the Royal Academy's copy each plate (apart from the maps) is printed twice - firstly in its early, etched form, and secondly as a finished engraving. In one case a figure which appears prominently in the etching has disappeared from the engraving (Vol. II, set 2, pl. 1, divisional t.pl., Scene from the top of the Aar Fall). The Academy's is a large-paper copy.
Provenance
Preliminary leaves in both volumes are inscribed in ink, 'Respectfully presented by the Author to the Royal Academy'.
Binding Note
19th-century half green morocco, green cloth-covered boards; spines lettered 'Passes Of The Alps - Brockedon Vol. I. (II.)', 'R.A.' and '1828 (9)'.