David Roberts R.A. The Holy Land Jerusalem Terra Sancta Arts Near Fine

Large-format illustrated hardcover. Featuring 25 colored facsimile lithographs by David Roberts, R.A. (1796-1864), 25 contemporary color photographs of the same sites, historical descriptions by Rev. G. Crolly, selections from Roberts' journals and letters, and a preface by Teddy Kollek, Mayor of Jerusalem. Text and lithographs reproduced courtesy of the Victoria & Albert Museum Library, London. This handsome oversized volume presents David Roberts' celebrated nineteenth-century views of Jerusalem alongside modern photographic comparisons, allowing readers to trace changes in the city across more than a century. Roberts' monumental Holy Land expedition of 1838-39 produced some of the most influential travel images of the Near East ever published. Featured sites include the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, Damascus Gate, Tower of David, Pool of Bethesda, Mosque of Omar (Dome of the Rock), Mount of Olives, Golden Gate, Tomb of Kings, Calvary, and many other landmarks central to the religious and architectural history of Jerusalem. The combination of full-page color plates, historical commentary, and excerpts from Roberts' journals makes this volume both an art book and a valuable historical record. Condition: Near Fine. Glossy pictorial boards remain exceptionally bright with only minimal shelf wear and slight rubbing visible under strong light. Corners remain sharp, binding tight, and interior pages clean and unmarked. Large historical map present to both sets of endpapers and in excellent condition. No ownership markings, highlighting, or significant defects observed. A particularly attractive collector's copy. David Roberts' The Holy Land, Syria, Idumea, Arabia, Egypt and Nubia ranks among the greatest illustrated travel works of the nineteenth century. His meticulous architectural renderings and atmospheric landscapes helped shape Western perceptions of the Middle East for generations and remain highly regarded by historians, collectors, and students of biblical archaeology.