10 colour plates of Athens & Constantinople

A particular account of Athens and Constantinople by a close friend of Byron, containing much description on the court of Ali Pasha. Ten of the colour plates show arresting views of Athens and Constantinople, with the other seven containing Albanian, Greek, and Turkish costumes.

'Hobhouse was an intimate friend of Byron with whom he made the journey described in this book... Hobhouse's account of this journey, Byron's first visit to Greece, is of great interest not only for the light it sheds on an important period of the poet's life but also for Hobhouse's detailed account of ethnographical and topographical material and his description of Ali Pasha's court. The plates come from several sources, 2 are taken from Mahmoud Raif's work on the Nizam-jedid which Hobhouse bought in Constantinople. The costume plates are reminiscent of Mouradja d'Ohsson, but the views of Athens are particular to this work. They are possibly after originals which were in Byron's possession... One would conclude that the artists [were] Linckh or Cockerell or both... however what appear to be the originals of these plates, now in a private collection, have been attributed to Richard Temple by the Fine Art Society' (Blackmer).

First edition; 4to (27.5 x 22 cm); complete with 17 finely hand-coloured aquatint plates, engraved frontispiece, 2 folding maps and 1 plan, 2 plates of facsimiles, 2 leaves of engraved music, prelims and larger map very lightly spotted, some light offsetting from maps, music leaves, and frontispiece, colour plates in fine condition with tissue-guards; contemporary full calf rebacked to style, boards rolled in gilt, gilt spine with gilt morocco lettering piece, all edges marbled, boards slightly rubbed, overall a very good copy; xix, [1], 1152, [2]pp.

Atabey 584; Blackmer 821; Abbey (Travel) 202; cf. Koç (Constantinople) I, 198.