First edition, and one of only 50 large paper copies, of a remarkable collection with 24 beautifully hand-coloured views of locations and people in South America and the Pacific islands, made by Louis Choris (1795-1828) during his voyage round the world. Choris published the majority of his drawings in his 1821-1822 account of the trip, Voyage pittoresque autour du monde. However, the present work, originally published in six issues of four plates each, reproduces the drawings not included in the larger work. The lithographs in the present work show views of Brazil, Chile, Hawaii, Easter Island, and other islands in Polynesia and Micronesia.
In 1815 Choris joined Otto von Kotzebue's (1787-1846) expedition aboard Le Rurik as the official artist. This three-year voyage was the first Russian circumnavigation devoted exclusively to scientific purposes. Choris made many drawings, and after his return in 1819 he settled in Paris where he was greatly encouraged to publish his work, since many of the drawings were portraits of people never seen before. In 1822 he published these drawings in his well-known Voyage pittoresque autour du monde, edited by Georges Cuvier. But when he later found another 24 interesting drawings, he decided to publish them in the present work, intended as an appendix to the Voyage pittoresque. He dedicated the work to the famous Alexander von Humboldt, and added extensive commentaries and explanations to the plates.
Choris's work is original and the lithographs are faithful representations of his original drawings. His sketches show us views from the traditional ways of life from the period when the feudal order was still in full force. The Hawaiian natives admired Choris's skills of rapidly drawing portraits with extraordinary likenesses. Choris also was - as becomes apparent from his art - very curious about scenes of daily life. He observed the way houses and temples were constructed, plant life, etc. Choris's illustrated works are essential for an understanding of Hawaii before its traditional social and religious systems broke down.
Lada-Mocarski, repeating Sabin and Graesse, states that there were "50 copies on large paper, with color plates" and adds that the "copy described in this bibliography belongs to the last variant". Unfortunately, he gives no sizes of regular copies, but since our copy is several centimetres larger than the one described by him ("40.5 x 27.2 cm"), it would certainly qualify as a large paper copy.
The edges and corners of the boards are scuffed and the front and back board are lightly scraped. The work is somewhat foxed throughout, the edges of the leaves are somewhat frayed, lacking the printed dedication to the Russian emperor. Otherwise in good condition. Borba de Moraes I, p. 180-1; Forbes, Hawaiian National Bibliography, 632; Lada-Mocarski 90; O'Reilly & Reitman 786; Sabin 12885; cf. Forbes, Encounters with paradise, p. 23-4.