Denon, Vivant / Kendal, E.A.

Travels in Upper and Lower Egypt, During the Campaigns of General Bonaparte. Translated from the French. To which is prefixed, An Historical Account of the Invasion of Egypt by the French. By E.A. Kendal, Esq. Illustrated by Maps, Views &c. &c.

First english language edition of this important work. In two Volumes (complete set with all illustrations). London, Printed by J. Cundee for B. Crosby and Co., 1802. Octavo (14 cm x 21 cm). Volume I: Frontispiece, LXX, 264 pages / Volume II: 285 pages plus 42 unnumbered pages of Appendix and Index, also including Errata and one page of advertising for “Books printed for B.Crosby and Co.”. Hardcover / Recently rebacked original 19th-century leather with the new spines bound to style with gilt lettering and ornament. Original boards preserved. Beautifully restored set in firm and excellent condition. Page VII of Volume One loosened. The maps and engravings in unusually excellent condition. From the library of Richard Meade (Ballymartle), with his Exlibris / Bookplate to pastedown of each Volume.

This is the first english-language-edition of Vivant Denon’s masterpiece and Bestseller of early 19th century Travel-Literature. Denon was single-handedly responsible for European Travellers to discover the beauty and importance of Egypt, its History and Architetcure. While there were expanded editions of this work in short succession (the 1803-edition has already 60 plates and the 1804-Edition, printed by Taylor & Co. in London has its own Atlas and 140 illustrations and is offered not seldom for more than 10000 Euros on the international market !), the two-Volume set we offer here is the first english edition of Denon’s introduction to the African Continent as a place of leisurely and at the same time, educational Travel-Destination.
Our set is of remarkable cleanliness, fully restored and from a great library the set is a perfect gift for the lover of Egypt and African Travel Literature.

Maps and Engravings included in this work are:

Volume One:

1. Frontispiece: “Battle of the Pyramids” (29 cm x 20.5 cm)
2. Map of the Landing Zone of British Forces at the Battle of Alexandria (March 21st 1801) (27 cm x 20.4 cm)
3. Beautiful, hand-coloured Map of “Upper & Lower Egypt, taken from D’Anville & corrected by the Astronomical Observations of Citizen Nouet, and on which are traced a part of the Marches of the French Army and the Route of the Travels of Vivant Denon” (20.5 cm x 38.5 cm)
4. “An Egyptian Lady” & “The manner of passing the Nile″
5. “The Dance of Almehs in a Harem″
6. “View of the Birket at Kaira” [Cairo]

Volume Two:

7. Page 97 of Volume Two offers a full-page translation of an inscription “on the listels of the right and left of the corona of one of the doors of the circumvallation to the south of the Temple″
8. “Arms of the Mamlucs″
9. “An Assembly of Shechs” [Sheiks]
10. “Meccans brought before General Belliard in the Tombs of Nacadeh″


Dominique Vivant, Baron Denon (4 January 1747 – 27 April 1825) was a French artist, writer, diplomat, author, and archaeologist. Denon was a diplomat for France under Louis XV and Louis XVI. He was appointed as the first Director of the Louvre museum by Napoleon after the Egyptian campaign of 1798–1801, and is commemorated in the Denon Wing of the modern museum and in the Dominique-Vivant Denon Research Center. His two-volume Voyage dans la basse et la haute Egypte (″Journey in Lower and Upper Egypt”), 1802, was foundational for modern Egyptology.
At Bonaparte’s invitation he joined the expedition to Egypt as part of the arts and literature section of the Institut d’Égypte, and thus found the opportunity of gathering the materials for his most important literary and artistic work. He accompanied General Desaix to Upper Egypt, and made numerous sketches of the monuments of ancient art, sometimes under the very fire of the enemy. The results were published in his “Voyage dans la basse et la haute Egypte” (″Journey in Lower and Upper Egypt”), published as two volumes in 1802. The work crowned his reputation both as an archaeologist and as an artist, and sparked the Egyptian Revival in architecture and decorative arts. (Wikipedia)

• Keywords: 18th / 19th Century Country House Library of Richard Meade – Ballymartle · 19th Century – Rare · Africa – Rare · Africa, North · Books with vintage Maps · Egypt · French – Egyptian War 1801 · French Colonial · French History Rare · French Imperialism · Maps of Africa · Maps of Egypt · Military History – Rare · Richard Meade Library (Ballymartle) · Travel & Expedition – Rare · Travel Africa – Rare · Travel Egypt – Rare
• Language: English
• Inventory Number: 29466AB

EUR 1.800,-- 

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