Catherwood, Frederick | The scarce deluxe issue of these celebrated views of the Mayan ruins

Catherwood, Frederick

Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America[,] Chiapas and Yucatan. [London: F. Catherwood, 1844] 

Folio (540 x 480 mm). Chromolithographed title by Owen Jones and 26 very fine hand-colored lithographed plates after Frederick Catherwood by Andrew Picken, William Parrott, Thomas Shotter Boys, and others, each view printed on heavy card and mounted on larger card stock, each image within ink rule and numbered by hand, but for two smaller views mounted on a single card; lacking letterpress title as issued in this format, some faint stray spots to mounts, occasional intrusion of faint spotting to the skies of three views. Includes 24 pages of letter press text and map laid in; some foxing to text, more so to dedication leaf and map. Green morocco richly gilt, sides ruled and paneled in gilt and blind; extremities rubbed, old stain to upper cover.

The scarce deluxe issue of these celebrated views of the Mayan ruins, the Earl of Derby's copy.

Catherwood's first and only book, limited to an edition of 300 copies total, with only a few issued in the format found here. 

Between 1839 and 1841, Catherwood accompanied John Lloyd Stephens on two expeditions to Honduras, Guatemala, and Yucatan, and he produced hundreds of drawings, many of which were reproduced as text illustrations in Stephens's Incidents of Travel in Central America, Chiapas and Yucatan (1841), and Incidents of Travel in Yucatan (1843). For Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Catherwood selected his best drawings for transfer to lithographic plates, and these have become the most celebrated illustrations of the Mayan civilization. 

Most copies of the work were issued with the lithographs uncolored and unmounted, and the superior issue with the views both colored and mounted is uncommon—unsurprising, as it was originally priced at 12 guineas, while the more common edition was merely 5. Many of the original drawings for these sumptuous views were destroyed in a fire. 

"In the whole range of literature on the Maya there has never appeared a more magnificent work than Views of Ancient Monuments" (V.W. von Hagen).

REFERENCES:

Palau 50290; Sabin 11520; Tooley 133; not in Abbey 

PROVENANCE:

Edward Smith Stanley, 13th Earl of Derby (1775-1851, armorial bookplate, manuscript library location and shelf-mark for Knowsley Hall) — Christie's London, 8 April 1998, Lot 37 (£67,500)