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The Great and Small Voyages

Starting price
$ 250 000
Auction dateClassic
25.05.2022 17:00UTC -04:00
Auctioneer
CHRISTIE'S
Event location
USA, New York
Archive
The auction is completed. No bids can be placed anymore.
Archive
ID 752737
Lot 9 | The Great and Small Voyages
The Great and Small VoyagesTheodor de Bry, 1580-1634BRY, Theodor de (1528-1598) et al. [THE GREAT AND SMALL VOYAGES], text in Latin. Frankfurt and Oppenheim, 1590-1634. [With:] The c.1768 De Bure facsimile of the extremely rare Elenchus. The complete set of de Bry’s Voyages in Latin—the greatest collection of travel writings assembled in early modern Europe. Theodor de Bry was inspired by the work of the English writer Richard Hakluyt, who had put together his own collection of voyages and encouraged de Bry to try his hand as well. Theodor completed the first part in 1590, and he went on to publish five further parts before his death in 1598, when his wife and sons, Johann Theodor and Johann Israel, took over the task of completing the Great Voyages and began the Small Voyages. These works were immediately popular, drawing together a huge amount of material and, most enduringly, providing what would become the founding iconography of the Americas and the East Indies in the European imagination. It was “the first collection to contain illustrations based on original eyewitness sketches made north of Mexico … [Thomas] Hariot’s Report had been published in London in 1588 without illustrations, but de Bry and his workshop of talented engravers added twenty-two plates derived from watercolors John White had made at the English settlement of Roanoke” (Creating America 81). While in some cases, as with Hariot, de Bry and his heirs were able to adapt already existing illustrations in their characteristic style, in others new images had to be conjured up based on the text. Frequently, as in the case of Le Moyne de Morgues’s voyages, “de Bry’s engravers evidently took considerable liberties with the originals, giving the Indians classical musculature and sacrificing accuracy of observation to European artistic conventions,” resulting in an illustration program which was captivating yet “full of contradictions” (Creating America 43). These images were used and reused “for the next three centuries, often out of context, by publishers who needed pictures of Indians” (ibid.). The reception of both text and image was colored not only by the de Brys' European-ness, but by their Protestantism—contributing to the Black Legend of Spain through their portrayal of the activities of Spanish atrocities in the New World. The Voyages were published over nearly half a century in multiple parts. According to Margaret Stillwell, “it happened that while the later parts of the de Bry series were being issued, the first parts ran out of print. Such was their popularity, owing to interest in the subject of their narratives and to the engraved illustrations of Indian life and of the customs of strange nations, that new parts were struck off and made up with remnants of the former issue. Because of this and other complicating features, the various de Bry sets present such an intermingling of the old and the new that probably every set in existence is variant from every other.” Complete sets rarely come to auction. The present set includes all 25 parts of the Latin edition, with the 18th-century De Bure facsimile of the vanishingly rare Elenchus, and many engravings present in multiple states. See the below for a more detailed listing of the contents. Creating America 43 and 81; Margaret Stillwell, Incunabula and Americana p. 76-77; Crawford, Collations and Notes No 3 Grands et Petits Voyages of de Bry, pp. 105-154 and pp.159-182.Comprising: THE GREAT VOYAGES [Americas]. Parts I-XIII with De Bure Elenchus facsimile in four volumes, folio (326 x 230mm). Modern purple morocco with gilt lozenge in the center board by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, edges gilt. Custom slipcases, chemises, and boxes. Volume 1: I. [HARIOT'S VIRGINIA.] Admiranda Narratio fida tamen, de commodis et incolarum ritibus Virginiae. Frankfurt: Johannes Wechel, 1590. Engraved title, dedicatory arms, double-page map of Virginia, Adam and Eve plate in supposed first state, 27 engraved plates, 2 of which folding, with blank leaf after plate 23 (plates a mix of first and second issues, a few plates obscured by gutter, a few small repairs, folding plates reattached at edge of platemark). Church 140. II. [LE MOYNE'S FLORIDA.] Brevis narratio eorum quae in Florida Americae provincia Gallis acciderunt. Frankfurt: Johannes Wechel, 1591. Engraved title, engraved title to plates, incorrect engraved arms on the dedication page, with correct version of armorial pasted over, folding map of Florida, Noah’s ark engraving on To the Reader leaf, 42 engraved plates after Le Moyne (small repair to printed area of engraved title, small repaired tear affecting text of dedication, map of Florida dampstained at top edge and with repaired area with losses to lower corner, a few small repaired marginal tears, a few signature marks corrected with slips). Church 145. III. [STADIUS'S BRAZIL.] Americae tertia pars memorabile provinciae Brasiliae historiam continens. Frankfurt: [Johannes Wechel,] 1592 [but 1597, according to Brunet]. Second issue. Engraved title, dedicatory arms, heraldic engraving, folding map of South America, 45 engraved illustrations with many duplicates, one of which with another duplicate engraving pasted over it, and full page engraving of Adam and Eve signed ‘Theodore de Bry’ (privilege leaf and bifolium KK-KK4 supplied from the second edition, a few small holes, map with a few wormholes and trimmed at top left, one illustration with margin repaired just touching engraved area). Church 150 (but second issue). Volume 2: IV. [BENZONI'S HISTORY OF THE NEW WORLD.] Americae pars quarta. Frankfurt: Johannes Feyerabend, 1594. Both engraved titles supplied from the second edition, plate of the arms with virtues, engravings of Columbus and 'Americae Retectio' in the text, folding map of the West Indies, 24 engraved plates, one of which with duplicate of correct engraving pasted over it (a few small burn holes in some leaves affecting type, map just shaved at top and bottom edges). Church 154; Pictured to the Life 25.V. [BENZONI'S HISTORY CONTINUED.] Americae pars quinta. 1595. First issue. Engraved title, engraved title to plates, portrait of Columbus, folding map of New Spain, 22 plates (subtle repair to blank leaf and blank margin below pl. IX). Church 156. VI. [BENZONI'S HISTORY CONCLUDED.] Americae pars sexta. 1596. Engraved title, engraved title to plates with pasted label, double-page map of the Americas, double-page view of Cusco, 28 engraved plates. Church 158. VII. [SCHMIDEL'S BRAZIL AND PARAGUAY.] Americae pars VII verissima et iucundissima descriptio praecipuarum quarundam Indiae regionum & insularum. 1599. Engraved title page, engraving of port on p. 7. Church 161. VIII. [VOYAGES OF DRAKE, RALEIGH, HAWKINS AND CAVENDISH.] Americae pars VIII. Frankfurt: Matthaeus Becker, 1599. First issue. Title with engraved map vignette showing the route of Drake's circumnavigation, folding map of Guiana, both versions of p. 78, with and without the engraved map vignette, letterpress plates title, 18 engraved plates (map with a few wormholes and tears, some neatly repaired, a few spots throughout). Church 164. Volume 3: IX. [ACOSTA'S HISTORY OF THE NEW WORLD.] Americae nona & postrema pars. Frankfurt: Matthaeus Becker, 1602. Engraved title, three section titles, two of which bear engraved vignettes, dedicatory arms of Christian II printed directly on the sheet, map of the straits of Magellan, 39 plates engraved plates (some toning). Church 168. X. [VOYAGES OF VESPUCCI, HAMOR'S VIRGINIA, SMITH'S DESCRIPTION OF NEW ENGLAND.] Americae pars decima. Oppenheim: Hieronymus Galle, 1619. Two copies of the title page containing the two different engraved vignettes, 12 engraved plates (not including two maps mentioned by Crawford). Church 170. Provenance: washed signature of French archbishop on first title: Mgr de Beauvau archevêque de Narbonne.Volume 4: XI. [SCHOUTEN AND VAN SPILBERGEN'S VOYAGES.] Americae pars undecima. Oppenheim: Hieronymus Galle and Johannes Hofer, 1619-[20]. Two title pages with engraved vignettes, 3 folding maps, 29 engraved plates, 2 of which folded at outer edge (some browning). Church 172. XII. [HERRERA'S WEST INDIES AND OTHER WORKS.] Novi Orbis pars duodecima. Frankfurt: Heirs of Theodor de Bry, 1624. Engraved additional title, double-page world map, 15 Herrera maps on fine paper cut down to size, as often; 19 engravings in text, many repeats from earlier parts (many shoulder notes just shaved, worming with some repairs in lower margins, a few wormholes in maps). Church 173. XIII. [VARIOUS EXPEDITIONS.] Decima tertia pars historiae Americanae. Frankfurt: Matthaus Merian, 1634. Engraved folding map of the Americas (reinforced at lower fold), Herrera map (with Latin and German captions instead of Spanish as in Church), 6 other engraved maps and views, mostly folding (tear at corner fold of map of Brazil, view of San Salvador backed with thick paper), 21 engravings in text (some small marginal repairs, final leaf a bit soiled; lacking map of Guiana, with facsimiles of both the Latin and German versions of the map bound in its place). Church 174. XIV. [ELENCHUS.] Historia Americae sive novi orbis continens in XIII distinctis partibus. Frankfurt: Matthaus Merian, 1634 [But France, c. 1768 by De Bure]. De Bure does not reproduce the engraved title; the opening of the preface has the ornament with basket of flowers (outer margins of each leaf extended, a few other neat repairs). See Church 175. THE LITTLE VOYAGES [East Indies]. Parts I-XII in three volumes, folio (295 x 186mm). Modern green morocco by Sangorski and Sutcliffe, edges gilt. Each with chemise and slipcase. Provenance: Indiana University Libraries (label with release stamp on rear flyleaf). Volume 1: I. [PIGAFETTA'S CONGO.] Vera descriptio regni Africani. Frankfurt: Wolfgang Richter, 1598. Titles within engraved border, engraved dedicatory arms, folding map of Africa, folding map of the Congo, 14 engravings with captions and engravings in text (some small repairs to maps). Church 205. Ia. Appendix regni Congo. Frankfurt: Heirs of Johan. Theod. De Bry, 1625. Title in engraved border, 12 engravings in the text. II. [LINSCHOTEN'S VOYAGES.] Pars Indiae orientalis. Frankfurt: Wolffgang Richter, 1599. Title within engraved border, portrait of Linschoten, plate of coins, 3 folding maps and plans, letterpress Icones title followed by 38 plates, one of which folding (some repairs and reinforcements at folds on maps). Church 207 (name in dedication as Church and not Crawford). III. [LINSCHOTEN, HOUTMAN, AND DE VEER'S EAST INDIES.] Tertia pars Indiae Orientalis. Frankfurt: Matthaeus Becker, 1601. Title within engraved border, double-page view of Saint Helena, view of Ascension Island, folding plan of Angra, Descriptio Hydrographia with 2 sheets bound separately, letterpress title to Icones followed by 59 plates, with folding map of Nova Zembla on reverse of duplicate of plate 58 (some small neat repairs throughout). Church 208 (title page as Church). Volume 2: IV. [LINSCHOTEN AND HOUTMAN CONCLUDED.] Pars quarta Indiae Orientalis. Frankfurt: Matthaeus Becker, 1601. Title within in engraved border, letterpres Icones title followed by 21 plates. Church 211. V. [NECK AND VAN WARWIJCK'S VOYAGE.] Quinta pars Indiae Orientalis. Frankfurt: Matthaeus Becker, 1601. Title within engraved border, letterpress Icones title followed by 20 plates with labels on plate XX corrected in ink to match the text as often (a little faint dampstaining). Church 212. VI. [GUINEA.] Indiae Orientalis pars VI. veram et historicam descriptionem auriferi regni Guineae ad Africam pertinentis. Frankfurt: Wolfgang Richter, 1604. First issue. Engraved title vignette, dedicatory arms, letterpress Icones title followed by 26 plates, with plates 2 and 3 printed with the wrong text and a duplicate of each plate cropped to image bound in at the right place (title lightly soiled). Church 214. VII. [SPILBERGEN AND BALBY'S VOYAGES.] Indiae Orientalis pars septima. Frankfurt: Wolffgang Richter, 1606. Title within engraved border, dedicatory arms of Archbishop Schwichardt [second issue], letterpress Icones title followed by 22 plates, 2 of which double-page. Church 216. VIII. [VOYAGES OF VAN NECK, BREE, CLAESZ, AND HAGEN.] Indiae Orientalis pars octava. Frankfurt: [Wolfgang Richter,] 1607. First issue. Title within engraved border, letterpress Icones title followed by 18 plates, 3 of which double-page (a few marginal wormholes, some engravings just shaved at edge of plate). Church 218. Volume 3: IX. [VERHOEFF'S VOYAGE]. Indiae Orientalis pars IX. Frankfurt: Wolfgang Richter, 1612 [Part I] and Widow of Matthias Becker, 1613 [Parts II and III]. First issue. Title within engraved border, letterpress Icones title followed by 18 plates consisting of 12 numbered engravings with reissues of plates 3, 4, 6, 7, 10, and 12 bound facing their earlier counterparts, second title page with engraved map above the imprint, letterpress section title for Colloquia Latino-Malaica, letterpress Icones title followed by 6 plates, with variant of plate 1 bound facing its counterpart (occasional light dustsoiling). Church 220. X. [HUDSON'S AND LINSCHOTEN'S VOYAGES.] Indiae orientalis Pars X. Frankfurt: Widow of Matthias Becker, 1613. Title within engraved border, letterpress Icones title followed by 3 plates and 3 folding maps (some offsetting to first map). Church 222. XI. Indiae orientalis pars undecima. Oppeheim: Hieronymous Galle, 1619. Engraved vignette of Olivier du Nort on title, letterpress section title followed by 10 plates, with first issue of plate VII showing a woman being carried in state to her husband's funeral pyre. Church 223. XII. Historiarum orientalis Indiae. Frankfurt: Wilhelm Fizzer, 1628. Letter press title page, 14 engraved plates in the text, 2 folding maps (toned, with a few small holes and neat repairs affecting type, map of China just shaved at platemark). Church 224 (his copy defective).
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