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GORRINGE, Henry H.
Egyptian Obelisks.
Publisher: New York, Published by the Author, 1882
Stock code: 42949
Price: £1,000 Currency Conversion
First Edition. Largely an account of the removal of the New York obelisk from Egypt and its transportation to America, written by the captain of the Vanderbilt steamer Dessoug who organized the remarkable process by which it was achieved. Essentially a hole was cut in the hull, the "needle" inserted, and the hull patched up. Also includes shorter records of the shipping of the Paris and London obelisks, the former by a similar method to the New York example, the latter towed in a specially built watertight cylinder, and a history of all the Egyptian obelisks together with "Notes on the Ancient Methods of Quarrying, Transporting, and Erecting Obelisks." Uncommon, particularly in this attractive binding.
Folio. Original tan smooth calf de luxe binding, rebacked, large gilt block of a temple gateway with obelisks in place to the upper board, one of the tilting of the obelisk on the lower, inner gilt dentelles, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. Artotype - a form of collotype process - portrait frontispiece and 50 other plates, 31 in artotype, 18 photo-engravings and one chromolithograph, "Sections of the New York obelisk in polarized light," one illustration to the text. Some foxing, light browning throughout, front endpaper slightly trimmed, binding a little rubbed, rebacked, hinges restored with linen, a very good copy.
