The Gate of The Pacific (Association copy)

PIM, Commander Bedford. R.N.

Published by Lovell Reeve & Co, London, 1863

About this Item

In the Original Blue cloth (95%) with a Lovely Bright gilt illustration of natives chopping a tree on the patterned front board. Corners bumped. The original spine was slightly faded/discoloured/rubbed in parts and was/is lacking just under a cm of the spine at the head of the spine, with a 2 cm hole in the central gilt motif on spine. Now this has all been very neatly relaid on cloth of a similar colour and you have to look very hard to see the repair. All the gilt titling/lettering and even the price (shown as 18/-) is present and the spine looks pretty good. xiii + (1) + 432 pp including 5 Appendices, plus a 2 pp Advert for Bentham's Illustrated Edition of his 'Handbook of the British Flora', a 16 pp Catalogue of Lovell Reeve & Co's Publications in Natural Science, Travels, Antiquities, etc, and ending with another Lovell Reeve & Co's 8 pp Catalogue of STEREOGRAPHS. All dated 1863. There are New endpapers but the original plain endpaper has been retained which has an old ink Presentation note stating " Dr (?) Th. Taylor, R.N. With Sir W. Gore Ouseley's Compliments. April 1863". Bedford Pim states at the end of his Preface to the book "I am especially indebted to Sir William Gore Ouseley and .for their spirited sketches of Nicaraguan Scenery and to Captain Anderson, of the King's Own Staffordshire Militia, for putting all the illustrations into shape for the lithographer". So a Very Nice 'Association' copy. There are, as called for, 7 maps (2 folding, One very large Map of Central America and one with outline and wash colour) plus 8 Full Page, Handsome, Tissue Guarded Colour Lithographic plates and 1 b/w Lithograph plate. Overall the book is Very Clean, but a few of the plates have some foxing to the blank edges of the plates, and just occasionally, in the bulk of the book, there a few light marks/thumbing, or an odd foxing spot. ALL hinges Secure. A nice early illustrated work of Pacific interest, concerning the proposed Nicaraguan Canal, written by one of its chief proponents/explorers who pioneered and surveyed the Nicaraguan Canal route across the Mosquito Coast and the Isthmus at Nicaragua. Generally this is a VG, Clean, Tight and Bright copy with an interesting Association inscription. Also includes a loose heraldic bookplate of the most recent owner 'Thomas-Ferrand'. Images available on request.; 108238; 8vo (large, thick). Seller Inventory # 108238

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Gate of The Pacific (Association copy)

Publisher: Lovell Reeve & Co, London

Publication Date: 1863

Binding: Hardcover

Condition: Very Good

Edition: First Edition.