Descripción
Eighteen stiff cards, four with two mounted watercolors, fourteen with one watercolor each, for a total of twenty-two illustrations. Average image size approximately 9 x 5 1/2 inches. Large folio portfolio. Three-quarter red morocco, green tie straps. Bookplate of the Easton Neston Library on front pastedown. Moderate edge wear to all cards, some minor chipping. Two of the watercolors detached from the mounts (but present). All watercolors bright and near fine, with autograph descriptions of scenes written in margins. Overall an excellent set of these charming original amateur watercolors. In a cloth case, leather label. Book: Original cloth, very good, in matching case. A collection of handsome original watercolors executed from life during a gentlemen's adventure around the world in the yacht, Lancashire Witch. The artwork illustrates places in and around Madagascar, the Seychelle Islands, Burma, Japan, Alaska, the Pribilof Islands, and elsewhere, and are a unique and unpublished record of this voyage. Francis Francis published a memoir of his round-the-world voyage in a book entitled WAR, WAVES, AND WANDERINGS. A CRUISE IN THE LANCASHIRE WITCH (London, 1881, two volumes bound in one: [8],300;[4],308pp., a copy is included here). Francis's published account of the voyage is unillustrated, however, and so these watercolors are a unique visual record of a lively round-the-world voyage. All of the watercolors are done in Francis Francis' quite impressive amateur hand. Their greatest strength lies in their blending of color between sky and landscape, and in the firsthand details of places and persons that Francis observed. Departing from Natal, the adventurers visited several points in Madagascar, Johanna, Zanzibar, Formosa, the Seychelles, Singapore, Siam, Japan, San Francisco, and Alaska. The watercolors as listed below are in chronological order, with Francis' titles listed first, and with appropriate references to Francis' text provided in quotations. The tone of the text is playful, and the illustrations are often touched with humor and sport. 1) "A cold douche on board the yacht." "Near the lee scuppers C. is being played upon with the hose instead of having a shower bath below." p.93. 2) "Mode of travelling in Madagascar." "S. was the first seated, and rousing the sleepy inhabitants of Majunga with a 'Hark for'ard, gone away, gone away, gone away, tally-ally- ally-ally ho!' he and his bearers went off at a rapid trot. We soon followed." p.108. 3) "Duck shooting, Madagascar." "Through the slim trunks we could see the glint of water, and as the view became more extensive, flocks of ducks and teal could be distinguished on the surface and round the shores of the pond. Up they rose in clouds. The main body departed, but for a few minutes single birds continued to circle aimlessly round. We bagged four and a half brace, besides three plover which fell to a single shot." p.110. 4) "Tip asleep." "Tip was asleep. Tip always is asleep if left to himself for five minutes." p.113. 5) "Johanna, one of the Comoro Islands." "Soon after sunrise we caught our first glimpse of Johanna. Already we were well within view, and amply justified were the expectations we had formed with regard to its attractions. Still and picture-like the painted island lay on the sunlit waters, as though under a spell." p.122. 6) "Hippo shooting on the Wami." "Submerged in water were ten or twelve hippoes in every reach, there just visible above the surface as they gazed curiously at us.With a little care in stalking I wounded a couple of hippoes. The first, after a great deal of splashing and considerable loss of blood, disappeared in deep water; the second, with decent resignation speedily turned up his toes and floated down stream, feebly pawing the surface of the water. I followed him until at length he also sank." p.161. 7) "Seychelle Islands." "A run of six days close-hauled - headwinds varied by calms prevailing throughout the voyage - brought us to the. N° de ref. del artículo WRCAM54838
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