Castro, Casimiro, and others

Folio (455 x 315mm.), printed title and 37pp. Spanish text, lithographed additional pictorial title, 40 lithographed plates after C. Castro, J. Campillo, L. Auda, and G. Rodriguez, 20 hand-coloured or printed in colour, 4 with 2 images to the plate, captions in Spanish, English and French, double-page map at end, nineteenth-century red half morocco, occasional slight spotting

Abbey, Travel 672

the condition of this lot is as described in the catalogue description
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

A good copy of this fine pictorial record of Mexico with ''draughtsmanship and lithography of a very high quality'' (Abbey).

This work began publication in 1855-56 and was extended in succeeding years with additional plates, and with more of them being coloured. This process is already evident here in comparison with the Abbey copy which contained just 37 plates, all of which were plain, and had no text. This copy has four additional plates compared with Abbey (Square of Arms of Mexico, Palais National de Mexico, A Stage Coach Attacked, Veracruz), though it is without one of the plates ("Dresses of Mexican"), many of the plates are coloured and there is accompanying text. The additional pictorial title, which is dated "1855 y 1857" is mounted.

It is also interesting to note that the composition of some of the plates changed radically in later years: the first plate in this copy "The Fo Spouting Fountain" is portrait in format, whilst the same plate in the edition of 1869 (sale in these rooms 17 November 2005, lot 174, see illustration) is landscape, with considerable differences.