Voyage historique et pittoresque du comté du Nice.

THE BEGINNING OF THE PICTURESQUE

First edition. Engraved dedication to the Duke of Gloucester, fine hand-coloured engraved map, 12 etched views on 9 sheets, each finely hand-coloured by Gabriel Lory the elder, and with plate numbers impressed by hand, folding leaf at end with list and explanation of plates. Folio. Geneva, Isaac Bardin, de l'imprimerie de Bonnant,

This work was published in both French and English, the former in 1787, the latter in 1791.

 

Albanis Beaumont (1755-1812) was born at Chambéry and was trained as an engineer at Mezières and enlisted in the Sardinian army in 1775. One of his first postings was to Nice and during that time he met the Duke of Gloucester who engaged him as a tutor for his children. This role afforded him the opportunity to travel as he accompanied the family through the Alps and sometimes into French territory. (At the time Sardinian territory stretched as far as Provence.)

 

His published accounts of his travels demonstrated his interest in classical history and included scientific, mostly geological, notes. More important are the hand-coloured illustrations, which are sumptuous examples of their type.

 

In 1790 the Duke of Gloucester moved his family to London and Albanis entered into partnership with Thomas Gowland who in addition to publishing these views, also saw works on Switzerland and Piedmont through the press.

 

The images are as follows: 1. Coloured plan of Nice and environs. 2. Gulf of Saint-Tropez. 3. A monument erected in honour of Julius Caesar. 4. Inside a Roman Circus. 5. Inside the Circus Julii or Frejus Forum. 6. View of the Chateau de St. Andre. 7. Prospect of the cave of St. Andre, located a mile from the chateau of the same name. 8. The Vard, a river that flows to the sea and limits the estates between those of France and the King of Sardinia. 9. The Church of Saint-Ponce and the Valley of the same name. 10. Entrance to the harbour of Lympia, with city below the castle. 11. The Port of Lympia and that of Mount Alban Castle, seen on the mountain in the middle of the plate. 12. The coastline and environs of Nice and the surrounding mountains, extending as far as the Port of Ville-Franche and the Lantern. 13. The Port of Ville-France and the Castle of Mount Alban in the distance on a mountain top.

 

OCLC locates copies at BL, Oxford, Geneva and the Morgan.

 

Abbey Travel, 48; Bobins, 508.

Stock Code: 239718