Harvard Digital Collections

Vues des cordillères, et monumens des peuples indigènes de l'Amérique, v.2

Title
Vues des cordillères, et monumens des peuples indigènes de l'Amérique, v.2

Alternative Title: Vues des cordillères, et monumens de l'Amérique, v.2

Alternative Title: Monumens des peuples des l'Amerique, v.2
Creator / Contributor
Humboldt, Alexander von, 1769-1859
Place of Origin
France
A Paris
Publisher
Chez F. Schoell
Date
1810
Language
French
Description
Extent: 2 v. (one double leaf of plates) : ill. (some col.) ; 60 cm.
print
Subjects
Places
France--Paris
Abstract
Work based on Humboldt's travels, with French doctor and botanist Aimé́ Bonpland, to Venezuela, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, and Peru between 1799 and 1804, often considered the founding work of American anthropology. Humboldt's travels, experiments, and knowledge transformed Western science. He and Bonpland were especially interested in botany, antiquities, minerals, geography, and geology, as shown by the large folded plate of a view of the great Andean volcano Chimborazo. Humboldt also included some of the first extensive reproductions of New World codices from the Columbian era, such as Codex Mendoza and the Dresden Codex.
Genre
bibliography
Illustrated works.
Travel literature.
Notes
"This work is one of the most important publications to result from the expedition to America in 1799-1804 of the great German scientist and explorer, Alexander von Humboldt, and the botanist, Aimé Bonpland. During their extensive trip, the two gathered a mass of material relating to all aspects of the New World, and their work in the field and the subsequent publications set a new standard for scientific exploration and reporting. Humboldt and Bonpland set out to investigate the area's geography, natural history, archaeology, and native customs, supplementing, their field explorations, with extensive research in Europe. The series of publications resulting from the expedition began in 1805 and took decades to publish, the present volume being the first major work from the series to appear."--Donald A. Heald Rare Books, Prints & Maps (viewed December 8, 2015).
"Vue des Cordillères... is most notable for its remarkable aquatint plates of scenes in South and Central America, particularly the magnificent double-page plate of the great volcano of Chimborazo in the Andean highlands. Most of these were made from Humboldt's original sketches. His involvement in the publication was close, especially in checking the colouring, which was done under his personal supervision to insure accuracy. These plates beautifully illustrate views, native costumes, and antiquities. The work is equally important as the first extensive treatment of surviving pre-Columbian and immediately post-Columbian Indian codices. The first publication of any part of the famed Dresden Codex, the most extensive of surviving pre-Columbian codices, is found herein, again with superb colouring. There are also coloured prints of the Codex Mendoza and plates drawn from various other important codices. Humboldt's treatment of them is a landmark in the rediscovery of the pre-Columbian civilizations. "Every class of Mexican, Aztec, and Peruvian Antiquity receives in this work the clearest philosophical analysis" (Field, [739])."--Donald A. Heald Rare Books, Prints & Maps (viewed December 8, 2015).
Constitutes pt. 1, section 2 of Humboldt's Voyage aux régions équinoxiales du nouveau continent.
Plates have image on one side, blank on the other side.
Volume 1 is a description of the plates in volume 2.
Volume 1: On page preceding title page: De l'imprimerie de J.H. Stone.
Volume 1, "Introduction", dated at end avril 1813.
Volume 1: "Table alphabétique des auteurs et ouvrages cités dans ce volume": p. [323]-328; "Table alphabétique des matières contenues dans ce volume": p. [329]-347; "Table des matières contenues dans cet ouvrage": p. [348]-350.
Volume 1: Errata, p. 350.
Volume 2 has title page only, no imprint on title page; title page and then plates.
Volume 2 subtitle: Planches.
Volume 2: 69 engraved plates on 68 leaves (27 hand colored, printed in colors, or printed in colors and finished by hand [1 of these double-page], 4 printed in sepia).
Volume 2: plate number in upper right corner of plate.
Volume 2: plate 25 double plate: volcano of Chimborazo; plates 8 and 9 on one leaf.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
Attribution: par Al. de Humboldt.
Series
Dumbarton Oaks Digitization Project. Pre-Columbian Studies. Rare books
Repository
Dumbarton Oaks Research Library and Collection, Harvard University
Houghton Library, Harvard University
Tozzer Library, Harvard University

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