Rare Book Monthly
Book Catalogue Reviews - June - 2006 Issue
Spectacular European Antiquarian Works From Thomas-Scheler
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Item 1 provides the earliest first-hand description of the Amazon River. Christobal de Acuna was a Jesuit who joined an expedition to explore the river in hopes of finding a shortcut across South America. Pedro Texeira's expedition spent nine months investigating the river. They found it a navigable waterway and the natives for the most part friendly. The explorers returned without major incident, and Acuna went home to write Nuevo Descubrimiento del gran rio de las Amazonas. This first edition was published in 1641. $80,000.
Item 22 is described as, "The most beautiful work ever published on pigeons." I'm not sure that this says much, but apparently it is quite an exquisite book, even if the subject matter now seems rather pedestrian. The title is Les Pigeons, and the French author of this 1811 first edition is Pauline Knip. It contains 87 plates taken from original paintings by Madame Knip. $40,000.
Rene-Primevere Lesson had a more beautiful bird to work with. His work is Les Trochilidees ou les Colibris et les Oiseaux-Mouches. This book is about very small birds, hummingbirds in particular. Lesson was a French naturalist who signed onto a round the world voyage as a ship's doctor from 1822-25. He wrote several books as a result, but his most noted work is on hummingbirds. This title includes 66 illustrations by some of the best artists of the day. Item 24, circa 1832. $35,000.
Here is a notable item of Americana: Relation ou Journal des operations du Corps Francais sous le commandement du Comte de Rochambeau. Count Rochambeau led French forces which assisted the Americans during their revolution. In particular, they aided Washington in his crucial victory at the Battle of Yorktown. Item 35 is a first edition of Rochambeau's account. $75,000.
Librairie Thomas-Scheler may be reached by email at basane@thomas-scheler.fr or by phone at +33 1 43 26 97 69.
