Illustrations of Cairo … taken on the spot between the years 1830-40
Year: c. 1860
Edition: First edition
Publisher: Winchester or London; Private publication
Category: Egypt
Rare set of re-lithographed plates which originally appeared in Hay’s "Illustrations of Cairo", 1840 in a slightly larger format. Owen B. Carter died in 1859 and this volume was apparently produced shortly thereafter in memoriam.
First separate edition, 19 lithographed plates mounted on thick card within beige borders, each with accompanying tissueguard leaf of letterpress. Some minor foxing, mainly to the mounts. The title page and text pages creased, inscription on first free endpaper and the very outer, lower corners of a few of the mounts a little damaged. Offsetting from the edges of the plates to the blank reverse side of the text pages. Original green cloth, gilt, rebacked and recornered in green calf. The cloth slightly rubbed. All edges gilt.
Folio; covers 487 x 371 mm, cardstock 472 x 361 mm, plates on average 285 x 215 mm, but slightly varying sizes.
One of the rarest view books from the early days of Egyptian travel and archaeology. Carter travelled
with Charles Laver to join Robert Hay's expedition around 1830. Carter's training as an architect can be
seen in the wonderful architectural details in these plates.
Blackmer: "Carter was in Egypt c.1829-31, in Hay’s employ; he produced 19 of the 30 drawings used for Hay’s book.
Later he established himself as an architect at Winchester, where he had a large practice. In 1847 and
1849 he exhibited architectural drawings at the Royal Academy. Some of his Egyptian drawings are in
the British Museum Print Room.”
The book contains the following plates:Blackmer 294. Not in Abbey Travel, neither in Atabey nor in Ibrahim-Hilmy who all only mention the edition by Robert Hay.
01) Beyn el-Kasreyn, with a public fountain. [3]
02) El-Ghooreeyeh. [4]
03) Gateway of the Kasr esh-Shema. [5]
04) The great minaret and part of the exterior of the Mosque of Tooloon. [6]
05) Kal'at el-Kebsh. [7]
06) Palace of Shereef Bey. [10]
07) Sereel el-Bedaweeyeh. [11]
08) Mosque of el-Guyooshee or Juyooshee. [12]
09) Bab Zuweyleh. [13]
10) Beyn-el Kasreyn, with the minaret of the tomb of Sultan Kalaoon. [15]
11) Bab En-Nasr. [16]
12) A street in Kahireh, near the Bab el-Khark. [17]
13) View in the Gemaleeyeh. [19]
14) Birket el-Feel. [21]
15) Tomb and fountain of el-Mudhaffar. [22]
16) The Beybarseeyeh. [23]
17) El-Barmaweeyeh. [26]
18) El-Azhar. [29]
19) Sebeel of Tooson Basha. [30]
The numbers in square brackets are the numbers of the plates as they appeared in Robert Hay's Cairo (1840).
Click on a picture to enlarge.
