WEBBER, John

Views in the South Seas...

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Boydell, London, 1808. Folio, title-page and 16 aquatint plates in fine and bright original handcolouring, with 15 leaves of descriptive text (one describing two plates); a very good copy in original marbled boards, rubbed, with the rare original printed label on upper board, spine and corners renewed in modern red straight-grain morocco, with the bookplate of Australian collector Eric Stock. The most beautiful English colour-plate book of the Pacific, the only colour-plate book relating to Cook's voyages and the last of the great Cook publications. The sixteen coloured aquatints, after Webber's drawings, and engraved by the artist himself, form one of the finest visual statements of the South Seas as a romantic Eden.

This collection of magnificent coloured views by the official artist on the third voyage is certainly the most striking publication resulting from Cook's expeditions. Views in the South Seas evolved over a number of years from the original series of twelve soft ground etchings produced between 1788 and 1792. The first issue of the final result was produced in 1808, although the majority of copies of the plates bear later watermarks (as here) suggesting that they were printed between 1819 and 1820. The text however usually has earlier watermarks: in this copy where watermarks appear they are for 1805.

Webber was the son of a Swiss sculptor who had emigrated to England and anglicised his name. His appointment as draughtsman to the third voyage gives his christian name as John, as does the memorial tablet at the Church of the Ascension in London, although on the title-page here he is named James. The confusion is probably explained by the fact that the collection of views was published fifteen years after his death.

Webber's album has always been a bibliographical curiosity. Despite the date on the title-page most copies can be shown to have been issued about 1820. Although the plates are all dated April 1 1809 on their captions and the leaves of text are all watermarked 1805, the watermarks on the plates are here, as most commonly, dated between 1814 and 1820. The variety in the watermark dates can be explained by publishing practices of the time: while the text leaves were printed in one run, the more expensive plates were progressively printed in batches as required. Boydell may also have had the plates available for sale separately, reprinting them as necessary on current paper stock.

The magnificently coloured views include five of Tahiti, two each of Kamchatka and Macao, one of New Zealand, and one of Tonga. The views of vegetation on Cracatoa and Pulo Condore are among the most beautiful aquatints of tropical foliage ever issued.
Beddie, 1872; Davidson, 'A Book Collector's Notes', p. 67; Hill, p. 611; Holmes, 79; Kroepelien, 1341; O'Reilly-Reitman, 441.

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• 订书号：: 207_531

• 书商: Hordern House (AUSTRALIA)