Views in the Himala Mountains by FRASER James Baillie 1783-1856 - 1820

Bond Street: Rodwell & Martin, 1820 First edition of the finest illustrated work on the Himalayas. Complete. In modern half red morocco over green paper covered boards, original red morocco gilt title label, elaborate gilt tooling to both upper and lower boards. Spine, gilt tooling, no title. Internally, engraved aquatint title, followed by 20 finely hand coloured aquatint plates by Robert Havell & Son after fraser. All on thick paper, mounted on guards throughout, some light marginal soiling. Boards faded slightly, light rubbing to extremities and titles. (644*504 cm). (Prideaux p336. Abbey Travel 498. Bobins 248). First edition of the finest illustrated work on the Himalayas, recalling the first recorded journey by Europeans through the region, amongst the most magnificent aquatints of mountain scenery ever produced. It stands as a stunning and eloquent visual record of the pioneering journey made by James Baillie Fraser, the eldest son of a Scottish family who travelled to India and there studied painting under the tutelage of George Chinnery, and his brother William, a political agent in 1815, during the Nepal war. They spent two months journeying through the region, chiefly exploring the river valleys but occasionally venturing to higher altitudes (where the party suffered from altitude sickness). The expedition reached as far as the sources of both the Jumna and the Ganges. The fine coloured plates were engraved by the Havells from Fraser's sketches made on the spot, and were intended to accompany Fraser's own written account of the journey (Journal of a Tour through Part of the Snowy Range of the Himala Mountains, 1820 ** also Available at Madoc Books).