[WAHLEN, Auguste] Moeurs, Usages et Costumes … [Bruxelles, 1843]

‘Moeurs, Usages et Costumes de tous les Peuples du Monde, d’après des documents authentiques et les voyages les plus récents.’

In a scarse uncoloured ed.

Four volumes, large octavo, with a total of 206 costume plates. Scarce and beautiful work on the costumes of the world, finely illustrated with a wonderful series of full-page plates, rears blank. The fourth volume covers Oceania and includes the Aborigines of Jervis Bay and Kangaroo Island, and the exotic peoples of Pitcairn Island, New Guinea, Timor, Java, New Zealand and Hawaii. There are also images familiar to us from published voyage accounts such as the Tahitian dancer after John Webber from the account of Cook’s third voyage, and portrait profiles of Maoris based on Sydney Parkinson’s images published in the official account of the first voyage. As usual, the plates in the publication do not exactly correspond with the lists published within the work. The table of contents describes 188 plates (but an erratum shows that only 185 were issued) and subscribers could also order a series of twelve special supplementary plates – as here – This copy has two plates missing in the Afrique… volume from the table of contents, making a total of 198 plates. This copy however has 206 plates with 8 extra.

Volume: WAHLEN, AUGUSTE [= JEAN-FRANÇOIS-NICOLAS LOUMYER]~Europe [ = Moeurs, usages et costumes de tous les peuples du monde, d’après des documents authentiques et les voyages les plus récents].~Bruxelles.~Librairie Historique-Artistique, rue de Schaerbeek 12.~1843.~Contemporary dark-brown leather spine & corners, hand-marbled brown paper-covered boards gilt lettering & ornamentaton spine, large 8vo: wood-engraved vignette on title-page, [iv], 357pp., [7]pp., 50 page-large wood-engravings [ = 34 plates as indicated & 12 just for subscribers of which 7 are present. 9 not indicated plates were bound along], list of these, list supplementary plates, table of contents. ¶¶ Very fine copy.

Volume: WAHLEN, AUGUSTE [= JEAN-FRANÇOIS-NICOLAS LOUMYER]~Asie [Moeurs, usages et costumes de tous les peuples du monde, d’après des documents authentiques et les voyages les plus récents].~Bruxelles.~Librairie Historique-Artistique, rue de Schaerbeek 12.~1843-1844.~Contemporary dark-brown leather spine & corners, hand-marbled brown paper-covered boards gilt lettering & ornamentaton spine, thick large 8vo: wood-engraved vignette on title-page, [iv], 592pp., 79 page-large wood-engravings [as indicated], list plates [79], table of contents. ¶¶ Very fine copy.~~~~Loumyer, Jean-François-Nicolas [1801-1875] Wahlen, August pseud. Jean-François-Nicolas Loumyer [1801-1875].

Volume: WAHLEN, AUGUSTE [= JEAN-FRANÇOIS-NICOLAS LOUMYER]~Afrique & Amérique [Moeurs, Usages et Costumes de tous les Peuples du Monde, d’après des docuemnts authentiques et les voyages les plus récents].~Bruxelles.~Librairie Historique-Artistique, rue de Schaerbeek 12.~1844.~Contemporary dark-brown leather spine & corners, hand-marbled brown paper-covered boards gilt lettering & ornamentaton spine, large 8vo: wood-engraved vignette on title-page, [iv], 365pp., [3]pp., 44 page-large wood-engravings [ = list of 41plates indicated of which 2 missing [Almée & Femme Cafre] – however 5 not mentioned extra], table of contents. ¶¶ Very fine copy.~¶ Égypte: Femme riche et femme du peuple au Caire – Arabe Bedouin – Afrique: Jeune fille de Timbouctou – Mexique: Habitant des environs de Vera-cruz – Californie: Indien dansant.~~History Geschiedenis Geschichte Science Science of History Geschiedwetenschap Geschichtswissenschaft.

Volume: WAHLEN, AUGUSTE [= JEAN-FRANÇOIS-NICOLAS LOUMYER]~Océanie [Moeurs, Usages et Costumes de tous les Peuples du Monde, d’après des documents authentiques et les voyages les plus récents].~Bruxelles.~Librairie Historique-Artistique, rue de Schaerbeek 12.~1843.~Contemporary dark-brown leather spine & corners, hand-marbled brown paper-covered boards gilt lettering & ornamentaton spine, large 8vo: wood-engraved vignette on title-page, [iv], 368pp., 37 page-large plates [ = 34 plates indicated – however 3 more plates: Guerrier Mangowien – Naturel de Massacre – Jeune fille de Madison], errata, table of contents. ¶¶ Very fine copy.