LABORDE Léon Emmanuel Simon Joseph Voyage de l’Arabie Pétrée.

Blackmer, 929 ; Nissen, 2335 ; Tobler, p.150; Rohricht, 1731 ; not in Abbey.

First edition. Laborde travelled with the well-known Linant de Bellefonds, who at that time was in service with Mehmet Ali as an hydraulic engineer. They set out from Cairo in February 1828, where Laborde had established himself after his long journey in Asia Minor and Syria, and made their way to Petra via Suez and Mt Sinai.

“Both Burckhardt and Irby and Mangles had explored Petra before Laborde, but Laborde was the first to be able to make plans, views and maps of the area” (Blackmer).

This magnificent book is illustrated with an engraved title page with large lithographed vignette, 69 plates maps and plans, one hand coloured, after drawings by both Linant de Bellefonds and Laborde, many lithographed by Victor Adam.

A very fine and complete copy albeit some occasional foxing.