Books

Two of the most impressive colour plate books from the Golden Age of aquatint: first edition of Ceylon, bound with the preferred Havell edition of African Scenery, the hand-colouring of which is much richer than in the original edition; according to Tooley it is "extremely rare"- borne out by auction records, showing one copy only, at Sotheby's New York in 1971. Samuel Daniell (1775-1811) was educated at the East India College, Hertford, and trained as an artist under the drawing-master there, Thomas Medland, who was also known as an accomplished aquatint. "Unable to make a living as a landscape painter in London, Daniell travelled to the Cape of Good Hope in 1799 in the suite of Sir George Yonge, governor and commander-in-chief at the Cape. His subsequent friendship with Lieutenant-General Francis Dundas resulted in his appointment as secretary and draughtsman to a mission to visit the country of the Booshuanas (Bechuanaland) under Mr Truter and Dr Somerville, in October 1801, to purchase cattle to replace those lost in the Cape Frontier War. During the perilous 700 mile trek to Lataku, the seat of King Mooliahaben of the Booshuanas, Daniell made a large number of drawings of the landscape, the wild animals, and the inhabitants of the interior … Daniell returned to England in 1803 and immediately began to work up his drawings for publication in his most important work African Scenery and Animals [originally issued in ten parts in 1804-5]. This magnificent publication stated on the title-page that the aquatints reproduced were 'drawn and engraved by Samuel Daniell'. Despite this it has generally been assumed that the engraving was done by his elder brother, William. This is by no means certain, as after Samuel's death the sale of his equipment reported in the Ceylon Government Gazette (May 1812) included copper plates for engraving" (ODNB). Mendelssohn calls African Scenery "the scarcest and most valuable of the large atlas folios of South African illustrations … a most magnificent work". Thomas Sutton, in his monograph on the Daniells, remarks that "the colour is laid on much more heavily than in the original edition". It is interesting to speculate that Havell may have used some of the team of skilled colourists that he employed while engaged on producing the plates for John James Audubon's celebrated Birds of America (1827-39). Of Daniell, ODNB goes on to remark that, "perennial financial problems and the attraction of exotic environments persuaded Daniell to leave England again in 1806, this time for Ceylon. There he became closely associated with the governor, Sir Thomas Maitland, who appointed him ranger of woods and forests. This gave Daniell the opportunity to explore the island and make numerous drawings of the landscape and animals. He sent a number of these home to his brother for engraving and these were published in 1808 as A picturesque illustration of the scenery, animals and native inhabitants of the island of Ceylon. He died of tropical fever in Ceylon on 16 December 1811, and was buried in Pettah burial-grounds". Ceylon is among the earliest illustrated books to offer a glimpse of that country to a British readership. In the opinion of Martin Hardie, "the best plates … are those of landscape" but Major Abbey avers that "many will find the natural history plates more interesting both technically and artistically. These plates are partly printed in colour, which enables a brilliant effect to be obtained, particularly on the bodies of the animals, where the colour is broken by the tiny white flecks of the aquatint grain, giving a subtle sheen, and conveying the impression of smooth bulk, especially on the flanks of the elephants". Provenance: L. V. Ledeboer of Rotterdam (d. 1891), cloth trader, who, from 1824, was a member of the Netherlands Missionary Society; with his bookplate and pressmark to front pastedown. READ MORE Folio (665 x 445 mm). Contemporary continental green half roan, spine with six low gilt-decorated raised bands, compartments decoratively tooled in gilt and blind, lettered longitudinally "Daniell, Ceylon and Africa", sides and corners edged with gilt and blind palmette rolls, purple moiré cloth sides. Ceylon: engraved title and 12 hand-coloured aquatint plates, 4 leaves of letterpress; Africa: 2 engraved and aquatinted title pages and 30 hand-coloured aquatint plates, 4 leaves of letterpress; all plates with tissue guards. Watermarks: Ceylon: Text 1805 Binding professionally refurbished, with particular attention to joints, sides variably sunned and with a few light abrasions, occasional marginal finger soiling and light signs of handling. A very good copy. Abbey 410 & 321; Howgego II T19 note; Mendelssohn I pp. 411-12; Tooley 170 & 169. Thomas Sutton, The Daniells: Artists and Travellers, 1954.