[Turkey]. - Lot 60

[Turkey]. HAMMER-PURGSTALL, Joseph von. Histoire de l'empire Ottoman depuis son origine jusqu'à nos jours. Paris, Bellizard, Barthès, Dufour and Lowell; London, Bossange, Barthes and Lowell; St. Petersburg, Fd. Bellizard et Cie, 1835-1843. 18 volumes of text in-8 and an atlas in-folio. Contemporary half morocco morocco, imitating the navy calf of the text volumes and very well executed for the atlas, smooth spines decorated with gilt roulettes and garlands, red morocco title-pieces, gilt titles (a few light scattered freckles, discreet wear to the text bindings, a slightly weakened spine at the head of volume I with a split bit at the head, an epidermure to the spine of volume 18). A superb copy of this rich, scholarly work in a uniform binding of the first French edition, translated by Hellert, containing fold-out genealogical tables and plates. The original German edition was published in Budapest in 10 volumes from 1827 to 1835. Atlas complete. Dated 1843. Often missing and non-existent for the German edition, it consists of a beautiful, fully engraved title page, an engraved list of maps, a large, finely watercolored General Map of the Ottoman Empire, 21 individual maps in black (including one on 2 sheets and 2 double-page maps representing the states of the Ottoman Empire and bordering states), 13 battle or siege plans, and 3 city plans (including a large fold-out plan of Constantinople), in black. An Austrian diplomat and orientalist, Hammer-Purgstall (1774-1856) made his first visit to Istanbul in 1799 and took part in the Egyptian Expedition as interpreter for British Admiral William Sidney Smith. Diplomat and legation secretary in Istanbul and Moldavia, before being appointed interpreter to the Chancellery of the Viennese Court. He also devoted part of his time to translating oriental works into German, and was instrumental in founding an Austrian Academy of Sciences. Atabey, 557 (text) & 569 (atlas). Blackmer, 785 (for the German edition). Hage Chahine, 2105.