Bidspirit auction | Rare and Luxurious 19th-Century Travel

Rare and Luxurious 19th-Century Travel Book! ”Walks About the City and Environs of Jerusalem” by William Henry Bartlett (W. H. Bartlett) | London, Early Edition - A complete and highly sought-after copy, published in London (George Virtue), comprising 255 pages of rich text. The edition is based on Bartlett's historic visit to Jerusalem in the summer of 1842, undertaken to document the city with exceptional topographical and architectural precision at the moment just before its expansion beyond the walls. The collectible and artistic value of this item is outstanding and exceptional, owing to the inclusion of a series of 24 fine and magnificent steel engravings on full pages (including an illustrated title page and frontispiece), alongside more than 25 additional engravings and illustrations integrated within the body of the text. Among the impressive works found in the book is the famous panoramic view of ”Jerusalem as Ruined by Titus, ” alongside precise illustrations of sacred and historic sites, such as the magnificent engraving of the Pool of Siloam with pilgrims beside it. In addition to its visual richness, the book features 4 cartographic topographical maps and plans, including 2 large fold-out maps, presenting with surgical precision the lines of fortification, the layout of the Old City, and the Roman encampment surrounding the walls of Jerusalem. The copy is presented in a magnificent and original Victorian-style binding of deep dark green, decorated with rich and artistic gilt stampings at its center and borders, characteristic of luxury editions of the period. The structure of the book and binding are stable, and the interior is complete. In keeping with the book's advanced age (over 180 years), the pages and maps display an authentic patina including light age wear, old dampstaining along portions of the upper margins, and light brown foxing. Binding with light abrasions and fading.  26 cm. 1.09 kg. Stains.