DESCRIPTION DE L'ÉGYPTE, ou Recueil des observations et des - Lot 215

DESCRIPTION DE L'ÉGYPTE, ou Recueil des observations et des recherches qui ont été faites en Égypte pendant l'expédition de l'armée française. Paris, printed by C.L.F.Panckoucke, 1820-1830. 24 volumes of text in 26 volumes in-8, stapled in printed covers with printed labels on spine, 11 volumes of plates (one large in-plano, 10in-plano) bound in brown half calf (period binding); some volumes of text with detached covers; one volume of plates missing; 8 volumes of plates with worn bindings and 3 entirely unbound, all with marginal wetness, some plates with soiling and tears. Second edition, published concurrently with the original. The first edition, in-folio and dated 1809-1822, appeared in installments from 1810 to 1829, but in 1820 the publisher Panckoucke obtained authorization from Louis XVIII to begin printing the present second edition, with the text volumes reprinted in in-8 format, thus more manageable and much more affordable. Text: Antiquités, vol.I-[X], the last being entitled "Explication des planches d'Antiquités". État moderne, vol.XI-XVIII, XVIII2, XVIII3. Histoire naturelle, vol.XIX-XXIV. -Planches: Antiquités, I-IV and a volume of large plates of Antiquités. LevolumeV is missing. État moderne, vol.I etII. Natural history, vol.I, II and IIbis. Topographical map. One of the most extraordinary illustrated books published in France, Description de l'Égypte was created at the personal instigation of Napoleon Bonaparte, during his expedition to the Orient. Accompanying him on his expedition were a host of scientists, who studied the country in all its geographical, zoological, botanical, historical and contemporary dimensions. After three years of work on site, under exhausting conditions due to the climate and military situation, it took more than thirty years to complete the titanic editorial undertaking of putting in order, writing and illustrating the work that was to report on this research. The Description de l'Égypte was a landmark work in many respects: it is at the origin of modern Egyptology, and made numerous scientific contributions to the mathematical and physical sciences (especially in their technical applications, particularly concerning measurement systems), to the experimental sciences (mainly optics and chemistry), and to natural history (systematic census of plant and animal species, and innovative theoretical reflections). Provenance: de Montlambert family (handwritten in pencil on the title leaves of several volumes of plates).