Travels through the Canadas,

£9,750 · Offered by Shapero Rare Books

First edition of this important aquatint book on Canada and the Great Lakes, often issued with the plates uncoloured. The plates depict the landmarks of Canada including Quebec, Montreal, the St. Lawrence, and the Niagara falls. The latter half of the work is dedicated to the northern Native American tribes, particularly their connection to the fur trade. Several plates display their costumes, and includes a vocabulary of the Algonquin languages. George Heriot (1759-1839) was postmaster-general of British North America from 1799 to 1816 and was a distinguished watercolourist in his day. First edition; 4to (27.5 x 22 cm); frontispiece hand-coloured aquatint folding view, 26 hand-coloured aqautint plates of which 5 folding, hand-coloured folding map, bookplate to front pastedown, a touch of offsetting from plates, the folding frontispiece with split to fold repaired; contemporary full diced calf rebacked with original spine laid down, boards ruled in gilt, gilt spine with gilt morocco lettering piece, all edges marbled, turn-ins gilt rolled, a little rubbing, lower hinge cracked but firm; xii, 602, [2]pp. Abbey (Travel), 618; Hill 801.

• Binding: Hardcover

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