Extremely rare 18th-century aquatint album - Lot 525

Extremely rare 18th-century aquatint album ROBERTSON (Archibald) Short descriptive account of the Pyrenean part of Bigorre from which twelve of the subjects intended for the publication are selected - Tableau abrégé ou Notion Générale de la partie Pyrénéenne de la province de Bigorre de laquelle on a choisi douze des sujets qui doivent faire l'objet de cette publication. London, Robertson, 1783. Large In folio oblong: 2f. table, 16 aquatint views, one of which in sepia. Added to this album is a View of Messina by Swinburne dated 1783. Central folding on 3 plates. ½ brown chagrin with corners XIXsigned HODGSON BINDER - Liverpool, smooth spine decorated with title in full, red speckled edges. Extremely rare album, the only complete one known in Pyrenean collections (the only other complete series is in the British Museum), which is in fact a unicum (the only one with text leaves). These large aquatints are also the first engraved views of the Pyrenees. The two table leaves give details of the first 8 plates, while the 12 Pyrenean subjects mentioned on the title were never published in their entirety: 4 views are dated 1783, the last two appear in 1787. List of plates: 1/ Barèges dans les Pyrénées (1783) - 2/ Luz dans les Pyrénées - 3/ Vue dans la Vallée de Barèges - 4/ Les saut de la Gave (du Gave) - 15/ Représentation des moulins des paysans proche la vallée de Barèges (1787) - 17/ Vue de Barèges prise derrière le torrent (1787). The first 4 views were engraved by Robertson after paintings by G. BARRETT, the last 2 are drawn and engraved by ROBERTSON. The other views show : 5/ View of the wonderful Veja bridge (near Verona) - 6/ View of the ruins of a Roman arch at Aix en Savoie - 7/ View of Lake Wallenstat - 8/ View of Recorao - 9/ Ancient Ear of Dionisius in Syracuse - 10/ Hot bath between Palermo and Sigesta - 11/ Ancient port of Girgenti in Sicily - 12/ View of the Temple of Concord at Girgenti - 13/ A view of Messina in 1777 - 14/ View of the wonderful natural bridge of Veja (1787) - 16/ View of Vaucleuse near Avignon (1787). Provenance: Copy from the library of Smith-Stanley, 14th Earl of Derby, with his 19th-century printed bookplate featuring a winged dragon, motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense", surmounted by a crown; preserved in the library of the Earls of Derby at Knowsley Park Castle. Sold at auction at Christie's in London in 1953. The work (bought from a London bookseller in 1955) was later to be found in the collection of Lourdais bibliophile Jean Senmartin, of which it was one of the jewels. It was again presented at auction (Vente Senmartin, Briscadieu-Auch, 1995 - sold for 19800 francs). Smith-Stanley (1799-1869), British statesman, Knight of the Order of the Garter, Grand Cross of the Order of St. Michael and St. George, three-time Prime Minister, leader of the Conservative Party.