Prout, J.S. and J. Rae.

Sydney Illustrated by J.S. Prout. With letter press description by J. Rae. Sydney, [1844] (see footnote)



first edition, 4to (355 x 245mm.), lithographed pictorial title and 14 plates, all but 3 coloured by hand, 2 double-page, double-page map, all backed on linen, 42 pages text, modern green half morocco

Ferguson 3891; Abbey, Travel 576

a rare coloured copy, with the signature of john rae and a watercolour drawing by j.s. prout.

Ferguson notes that "the plates are sometimes found coloured'', citing a presentation copy from Rae. This copy bears his signature on the upper free endleaf, and in addition on the opposite paste-down contains a watercolour by Prout, signed, which has been mounted into the binding. the watercolour is reproduced as the pictorial title to this work. The main difference in the two is that a figure in the foreground of the watercolour is omitted in the printed version (see illustration). "John Skinner Prout was the nephew of the more famous Samuel Prout... He was born in England in 1806 and went to Australia in 1840. He returned to England in 1848, where he died in 1876. He was the first artist of any merit to go to Austalia, and by his teaching, and by his endeavours to foster an interest in art, he had considerable influence on early Australian painting'' (Abbey).

Abbey devotes some space to a discussion of the date of the work, which was issued in parts, as "the title-page is very difficult to read'' - quite true. He eventually plumps for 1844 (as does Ferguson), though it is clear that the date given on the title-page in this copy ends either with a 3 or 5.