Description des Monumens de Rhodes [atlas volume only].

First edition. As is often the case with this title, what we have is the atlas volume only. Oblong folio. Lithographed title-page, map and 75 plates, i.e. a full complement. The plates are by Vanden Kerckhoven, Vandermeren and others after Rottiers, P. J. Witdoeck von Boens, Delpierre, van Genk, Simoneau, Verbeyst and others. Nineteenth century binding of half tan calf with raised bands, gilt rules, marbled boards. At the behest of the King of the Netherlands Rottiers undertook an archaeological mission to greece. Having failed to obtain permission from the Greek government to make excavations at Delos and Milos he turned his attentions to Rhodes which at that time was under Turkish rule. Most of the plates are views of Rhodes, its ports, fortifications and street scenes, with many exteriors and interiors of buildings of particular interest. There are also plates which show frescoes, coins, armorial devices etc.One of a very few copies in which all the plates are hand-coloured (usually there is colouring only to seven or eight of them).On the front pastedown is a small gilt oval bookplate with no text and which appears to show a horseman. The map and the first three plates have small faint traces of damp in the lower margins, not affecting the images. Elsewhere a couple of plates have marginal marks or small tears, again not affecting the images. The binding has rubbing to the boards and the front boards has a couple of coffee rings. The plates are generally fine.…