LESSON, René-Primevère & LESSON, Pierre-Adolphe - Lot 97

LESSON, René-Primevère & LESSON, Pierre-Adolphe Voyage aux îles Mangareva (Océanie). Rochefort, printed by Mercier et Devois, 1844. In-8 (207 x 130 mm) of 164 pp. 18 lithographed plates, 6 of them in colors. Half brown basane, smooth spine (period binding). Missing Ferguson, Nissen and Pritzel. Very rare first edition of the travelogue in the Gambier Islands archipelago, 1,600 km south of Tahiti. Mangareva was discovered and visited between 1797 and 1838 by English and French navigators (including Dumont d'Urville) who stayed there for some time. In 1850, it was declared a French territory and had to suffer the fallout of nuclear tests in 1966. Edition printed in Rochefort, annotated by René-Louis Lesson, the author's brother (1805-1888), chief physician of the Oceania Establishments. The work is illustrated with 18 lithographs, 8 of which are in color, depicting inhabitants, masks and tools or various objects, and plants (Marquesas Islands, New Zealand, and Australia). René-Primevère Lesson notes about the illustrations that "they are taken from my brother's portfolio, which is very rich in drawings of this kind". We have only been able to trace one copy that was sold at auction. Some stains to the color lithographs.