Picturesque Palestine, Sinai, and Egypt.

WILSON, Colonel Charles.

Item Number: 50038

New York: D. Appleton, 1881-1883.

First edition, American issue of Wilson’s pictorial survey of the Holy Land and Egypt. Folio, 4 volumes, bound in the original publisher’s green cloth, gilt titles and tooling to the spine and front panel, all edges gilt, tissue guards. Illustrated with thirty-nine full-page steel engravings and more than 600 text engravings. In near fine condition with a touch of rubbing. Scarce and desirable in this condition.

“Sir Charles Wilson had many interests in life outside his military and political duties, and probably did more than any other man to increase the knowledge of the geography and archaeology of Asia Minor, Palestine, and the adjacent countries” (Watson). Wilson’s was the first official survey of Jerusalem (1864-65), the brainchild of Angela Burdett-Coutts of the wealthy banking family, who wished to provide Jerusalem with an improved water system. In the course of the survey, Wilson’s team was given permission to make images of Muslim sacred areas, including the Dome of the Rock (pictured in Volume I, 49-66), from which Christians had been previously barred (Vaczek & Buckland, 68-69).