LÜTKE, Friedrich von (1797-1882)

Lot 146
13.12.2023 11:00UTC +00:00
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£ 30 240
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ID 1105591
Lot 146 | LÜTKE, Friedrich von (1797-1882)
Estimate value
£ 25 000 – 35 000
LÜTKE, Friedrich von (1797-1882)

Voyage autour du monde, execute par ordre de sa majeste l'empereur Nicolas Ier, sur la corvette la Seniavine dans les annees 1826, 1827, 1828 et 1829. Paris: Typographie de Firmin Didot freres, 1835-1836.

First French edition, complete with the extremely scarce atlas, of this famous Russian expedition. ‘The atlas is prized for the beauty of its views of native life and scenery, lithographed by Engelmann from the original drawings of Baron Kittlitz’ (Hill). The work is particularly important for the survey of the Russian coasts of Asia and America as well as the Pacific, and ‘is an outstanding example of Russian exploration’ (Lada-Mocarski). Translated from the Russian by F. Boye, this French edition was published the same year as the original edition in Saint-Petersburg. The German geographer Lütke commanded the corvette Seniavine, which left Copenhagen, crossed the Atlantic, skirted the coasts of Chile, then Alaska under Russian domination, Kamchatka, the archipelago of the Caroline Islands, and returned to Europe via Cape of Good Hope. ‘[It] bore rich fruit for the scientific knowledge of the places visited. The scientists of the expedition, A. Postels, Dr. Mertens, and Baron Kittlitz, were responsible for collecting several hundred zoological specimens, upward of 2,500 botanical specimens, over 300 geological samples, some 300 ornithological specimens, a collection of shells, etc.’ (Lada-Mocarski). Sabin 42739 (calling for 52 plates in error); Lada-Mocarski 100 (see entry 98 for atlas); Hill 1046; Nissen ZBI 2591.



3 text volumes, octavo (206 x 140 mm), and folio atlas volume (560 x 404 mm). Text : vol. I: blank leaf present at beginning, half-title, 2 folding lithographic maps (without final blank, pp.327-8 creased); vol. II: blank leaf present at beginning, half-title, one lithographic plate and one folding map (without final blank, the errata leaf at end mounted on a stub); vol. III: blank leaf present at beginning, half-title bound after title as issued, folding lithographic map (map lightly creased with some minor repairs and strengthening; all vols with occasional scattered light spotting). Atlas: lithographic title, 3 maps and 51 plates (title-page lightly soiled and spotted and with lower corner repaired, gatherings 3 and 4 misbound out of sequence, variable spotting and light browning and staining throughout). Text vols bound in contemporary half sheep (rebacked preserving original spines, extremities lightly rubbed); atlas vol. in modern red half leather preserving original printed upper board (extremities lightly rubbed). Provenance: longitude degrees added in ink manuscript to first map in atlas vol. – Sergey Trusov (1854-1910, Russian book dealer; ink inscription on rear pastedown of atlas with address of Liteyniy Avenue 59, St Petersburg and dated 5 May 1890) – Moscow Union of Publishing Houses (book dealer stamps on rear pastedown of first vol. of text).

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