Travels in Egypt and Nubia.

Davis/Reymers, London, 1757

First edition in English of this comprehensive account of Norden’s journey to Egypt in 1737–38. It contains some of the first realistic drawings of Egyptian monuments in large copper engravings of Alexandria, Cairo, Carnac, Luxor, etc.

Description: 2 parts in 1 vol. Recent calf, retaining the original binding, sides with gilt floral borders, gilt decoration and lettering to spine in contemporary style. Marbled endpapers. Folio: 47 × 30 cm; pp.: (vol.1): [12], xxxiv, 124p. (vol.2): [4], viii, 155, [1]p. With 2 frontispieces and 164 plates (on 162 leaves). Plates numbered i-clix (on one leaf: cxl and cxli; cxlii and cxliii), 5 unnumbered plates.

Provenance: Armorial bookplate of Francis Enys, Cornwall with motto serpentes velut et columbae on front pastedown.

Ref.: Blackmer 1211; Cox i/382; Henze iii/622

Condition: Expertly restored binding using original binding parts. A few minor marks to covers and spine. Contents slightly age-toned, but with some offsetting from plates to opposite leaves.

Notes: F.L. Norden (1708–1742) led his expedition to Egypt in 1737–38, at the behest of King Kristian VI of Denmark. He was accompanied by the artist Marcus Tuscher. In 1741 he published his Drawings of some ruins and colossal statues at Thebes in Egypt, with an account of the same in a letter to the Royal Society. After his death the Koniglike Danske Videnskabers Selskab prepared the Voyage d’Egypte et de Nubie (2 v., Copenhague: Maison Royale des Orphelines, 1755), the text translated from Norden’s notes by J.B. Des Roches du Parthenay. The present 1757 English translation was sponsored by the Royal Society; and an abridgment without plates was published the same year at Dublin as A compendium of the travels of F.L. Norden through Egypt and Nubia. Norden penetrated Nubia as far as el-Derr, and at the time of publication his account was the most comprehensive description of Egypt available in Europe, and the most accurate representation of its monuments (source: royalacademy.org.uk).