Voyage de la Corvette L'Astrolabe.

The scarce, illustrated zoological atlas of Animaux Vertébrés from the first edition of Dumont D'Urville's epic account of the Voyage de la Corvette L'Astrolabe, comprising the sections on mammals, birds, and fish.

The Atlas Zoologique was produced by Jean René Constant Quoy and Joseph Paul Gaimard. The section on vertebrates is illustrated with 71 engraved plates, 66 of which are printed in colour, after originals by Prêtre, Prévost, and Oudart, widely regarded as some of the finest bird artists of their time.

This important grand voyage was one in a great series undertaken by the French government in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries for scientific and political purposes. Led by Jules Dumont d'Urville, its intention 'was to gain additional information about the principal groups of islands in the Pacific and to augment the mass of scientific data acquired by Louis Duperrey. The Astrolabe sailed South, around the Cape of Good Hope, and arrived at Port Jackson. Proceeding to New Zealand, its coast, especially the southern part of Cook Strait, was surveyed with great care. Tonga and parts of the Fiji Archipeligo were explored, then New Britain, New Guinea, Amboina, Tasmania, Vanikoro, Guam and Java. The return home was by way of Mauritius and the Cape of Good Hope. Huge amounts of scientific materials were collected and published' (Hill).

From The John Crerar Library, an important research collection endowed by the American industrialist John Crerar (1827-1889), and now administered by the University of Chicago.

First edition; large folio (52.5 x 35.5 cm); bookplates to front free endpaper, 71 engraved plates (66 printed in colour), complete for the animaux vertébrés, each plate with publisher's blind-stamp, vignette-title, table of plates, original brown wrappers bound-in (a few closed tears repaired with tape to verso), minor spotting throughout; later maroon cloth, title and shelf mark for the John Crerar Library in gilt to spine, minor wear, a very good copy.

Anker p.118; Zimmer 184; Fine Bird Books 73; Hill 88; McGill/Wood 614; Nissen ZBI, 1199; Whittell 216.