Narrative, of a Five Years’ Expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam…
by Stedman, John Gabriel
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
San Francisco, California, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
2 vols. London: J. Johnson, 1796. 2 vols., 4to, [vol. I] xviii, 407 (i.e. 415), (7, index, plates, errata) pp., frontispiece, engraved title-page, 39 plates and 2 folding maps; [vol. II] iv, 404, (7, index, plates, errata) pages, engraved title-page and 40 plates. Contemporary calf rebacked, lettered in gilt, some browning as usual. § First edition. Sixteen of the plates (and per a recent discovery the vignettes on the title-pages, one of which has the miniscule signature “Blake”) were engraved by Blake after Stedman’s drawings. This book had a substantial impact on Blake, who refers specifically to one of the illustrations that he engraved (that of a slave branded with his owner’s initials, ironically those of Stedman himself) in his Visions of the Daughters of Albion: “Stampt with my signet are the swarthy children of the sun”. As Forum noted in their catalogue 105 item 265: “Most impressive however, and very modern, are his vivid descriptions of the brutal treatment of the negroes, and his enlightened reflections upon the moral perversions of the slave-owners, leading him to pronounce the strongest possible indictment against slavery ever raised… His observations gave rise to a storm of protest in liberal Europe… his unexpurgated version was only recently published.” Abbey, Travel, 719. Bentley 499A. Essick, William Blake’s Commercial Book Illustrations, XXXIII. Kress Library 16679. Ray, Illustrator and the Book in England, 2.
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Details
- Bookseller
- John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 107939
- Title
- Narrative, of a Five Years’ Expedition, against the revolted Negroes of Surinam…
- Author
- Stedman, John Gabriel
- Book Condition
- Used
- Publisher
- J. Johnson
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1796
- Size
- 2 vols
Terms of Sale
John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller
5 day return guarantee, with full refund not including shipping costs for up to 5 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller
Biblio member since 2005
San Francisco, California
About John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller
John Windle Antiquarian Bookseller offers an exceptional selection of rare books and manuscripts from medieval times through the twentieth century; we specialize in illustrated material, particularly the work of William Blake and his circle. Located in downtown San Francisco, we have served an international clientele of private collectors, libraries, and institutions for 35 years. We are actively purchasing books and manuscripts in all fields, especially medieval illuminated and text manuscripts; material on California, Hawaii, and Pacific voyages; illustrated books and fine bindings from the 15th through the 20th century; and fine press printing. William Blake, Mary Wollstonecraft, and Thomas Frognall Dibdin remain special interests. We are members of the ABAA, ILAB, and PBFA, and we subscribe to the code of ethics endorsed by reputable antiquarian booksellers worldwide.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Calf
- Calf or calf hide is a common form of leather binding. Calf binding is naturally a light brown but there are ways to treat the...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Rebacked
- having had the material covering the spine replaced. ...