Books and Manuscripts

Frith, Francis
Egypt and Palestine Photographed and Described
London and New York: James S. Virtue, (1858-59). In two volumes. First edition. Folio, 17 1/4 x 12 5/8 in. (438 x 321 mm). Illustrated with an oval albumen portrait of Frith in Turkish dress and 75 mounted albumen prints, most signed, numbered, and dated in plate by Frith, and with engraved captions on mount; each plate with tissue guard, and with accompanying letterpress text leaves. Original three-quarter brown morocco over brown cloth-covered beveled edge boards, lettered in gilt on front board of each volume, joints and corners expertly restored, boards moderately soiled and rubbed; all edges gilt; foxing to endpapers in each volume; large tidemark in front free endpaper and first free leaf of second volume; foxing to title-pages; small tidemark in bottom of Frith portrait mount; light to moderate foxing and soiling in plate mounts in both volumes; several plates in each volume unevenly faded or discolored; each volume in brown cloth fall-down-back box. Blackmer 1942

First edition of Francis Frith's acclaimed photographs of Egypt and the Holy Land, his earliest and finest work, and considered "one of the most renowned nineteenth-century photobooks." (Martin Parr and Gerry Badger, The Photobook: A History, 2004, Vol. I, p. 28).

Frith made three trips to Egypt, Sinai, Ethiopia, and Jerusalem between 1856-60, documenting the region's architecture, antiquities, and culture. Developing his negatives in-situ in the hot and dusty Egyptian desert using an often difficult wet-collodion method, Frith produced these rich and stunning photographs, "which have justly become famous, therefore, as much for their technical as for their artistic achievement, demonstrating photography's astonishing capacity to render the form and texture of the actual." (Parr, p. 28).

A handsome copy in original binding.