Red morocco - Landes - Arcachon - Lot 459

Red morocco - Landes - Arcachon MORTEMART de BOISSE (François Gerôme Léonard de) baron Voyage dans les Landes de Gascogne et Rapport à la Société Royale et Centrale d'Agriculture sur la Colonie d'Arcachon (on the false title:) Second edition. Paris, Bouchard-Huzard, 1840. In-8: 210pp. ; lithographed frontispiece (Jeune Femme de La Teste by JULIEN), 2 fold-out plans (plan des irrigations de la Compagnie d'Arcachon and plan-carte de la même compagnie), a fold-out map of part of the département, one folding view (Chapelle d'Arcachon) by BICHEBOIS and ADAM and 4 single lithog views (Bains Tindel (Arcachon) by CUVILLIER - Chasse au Chevreuil by ADAM and BICHEBOIS - le Résinier by JULIEN and BICHEBOIS - Costumes Landais by ADAM). Contemporary long-grained red morocco, decorated smooth spine, gilt title and rocaille fleurons, gilt central coat of arms, double framing of boards, filleted edges, gilt inner border, white moire endpapers, gilt edges (minor wear to headpieces and corners). A fine, well-bound copy. Extract from Mémoires de la Société Royale d'Agriculture, Année 1839. BARBE reports only one map and one plate, as does CHABAS. A few rare copies (such as this one) have the fold-out view of the Arcachon chapel. Born in Versailles in 1785, MORTEMART abandoned a promising military and administrative career in favor of agronomy. He traveled throughout Europe, cooperating with various societies including the Revue des Deux Mondes, of which he was a founder. His publications, sometimes under the pseudonyms of Lord Wigmore or Lady Mortimer, are frankly travel-oriented, mixed with history and agriculture: Italy, England, the Duchy of Baden, and our Landes. Provenance: Dedication copy with the coat of arms of Pope Gregory XVI.