The rare first German (and correct first) edition of Lichtenstein's Travels. In two volumes in contemporary quarter leather and marbled boards bindings. Vol. 1. Berlin. 1811. (x + 685pp). Engraved frontispiece of the author and five other full page copper engravings. Plus excellent large (62x49cms)folding map of South Africa at the rear (previously tipped in but now laid in loose). Vol.2. Berlin. 1812. (661pp.). With four folding copper engravings. The map (Karte) mentioned on the title page was apparently not issued and is never present.
The bindings are moderately worn with the tooled leather spine labels not easily legible.There are small paper labels with the number 181 on the spine of each volume. There is a small Berlin bookseller's label on each front pastedown. A small ownership signature on each free endpaper has been neatly scratched out, and a new ownership name has been neatly rubber stamped on both free endpapers and on the title pages. There is intermittent mild foxing throughout but generally both volumes are clean and tight. The map in Vol.1 is in excellent condition. Altogether an about very good copy of this work, which would seem to be much scarcer than the English edition published a few years later.
Martin Hinrich Carl Lichtenstein (10 January 1780 - 2 September 1857) was a German physician, explorer, botanist and zoologist. Born in Hamburg, Lichtenstein was the son of Anton August Heinrich Lichtenstein. He studied medicine at Jena and Helmstedt. Between 1802 and 1806 he travelled in Southern Africa, becoming the personal physician of the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope. In 1811 he published Reisen im südlichen Afrika : in den Jahren 1803, 1804, 1805, und 1806; as a result, he was appointed professor of zoology at the University of Berlin in 1811, and appointed director of the Berlin Zoological Museum in 1813. In 1829, he was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.
- Binding Condition: About Very Good
- Overall Condition: About Very Good
- Size: 8vo.
- Sold By: Ronald Levine - Modern First Editions
- Contact Person: Ronald Levine
- Country: South Africa
- Email: [email protected]
- Telephone: 011643 8437
- Preferred Payment Methods: EFT for South African customers and International Bank Tranfer for customers abroad. I am unable to accept payment by credit card.
- Trade Associations: SABDA
