The South African Drawings of William J. Burchell.

Excellent ethnographic portraits in colour and monochrome, made during Burchell's southern African journeys

Number 276 of an edition limited to 300 copies.  Gubbins Trust Publications - No. 1.

4to; original rust half calf with matching cloth sides; spine lettered in gilt; original printed dustwrapper; marbled endpapers; flecked edges; pp. xv + (i) + [82]; twenty-two full page plates with tissue guards, and descriptive text to facing page in each case.  Very good dustwrapper (a remarkable survival) somewhat sunned and rubbed, with trace of edgewear; moderate foxing throughout.  Very good condition.  

'Burchell tells us that every sketch he made he considered as a triumph over oblivion, as well as a powerful assistant to recollection.  He makes no claim to being an "artist" displaying his talents by producing a pleasing picture, but writes that he tried to give a faithful representation of what he saw. ... Burchell was asked repeatedly to show Mollemmi's portrait, and though it had been seen several times, the sight of it never failed to call forth expressions of surprise and laughter.'  Excellent ethnographic portraits in colour and monochrome, made during Burchell's southern African journeys.  A second volume, Landscape Sketches, was published in 1952.