Turkish and Egyptian travel books go to auction

ISTANBUL - Hürriyet Daily News

This photo shows an illustration ‘Prisse d’Avennes,’ from the Oriental Album.

Sotheby’s London will present a superb private collection of fine travel and plate books comprised of some of the most magnificently illustrated travel books available together with watercolors and manuscripts for auction Feb. 28.

Some of the illustrations set for auction are beyond unique, containing previously unpublished material, according to a press release from Sotheby’s London. The auction house estimates the 142 lots will raise an excess of 1.5 million GBP.

Assembled by a private collector who sought to obtain the best examples of travel and plate books in a variety of media, including hand-colored prints, photography, watercolor and sketches, the collection contains a number of works that come from notable collections. Among the items up for auction 21 lots stem from the library of Beriah Botfield, one of the greatest book collectors of the 19th century. Another 49 lots hail from the collection of Şefik Atabey, who formed one of the greatest libraries of the Ottoman Empire.

“This auction represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire some of the very best books in this field, since collections of this quality so rarely come to the market,” Richard Fattorini, director and specialist for Sotheby’s Department of Books and Manuscripts said in the press release.

Books of historical significance

Fattorini claimed many of the works held historical significance. “Not only are there editions regarded as the most important in their category and media by the most historically significant artists and writers, but many are also magnificently bound, in superb condition and in many cases have significant provenances.”

Some of the earliest and largest photographs of Egypt taken in the 19th century will be at the auction. Of all the photographs Frith produced, the 20 presented for auction are accompanied by descriptions composed by the mother and son duo, Sophia and Reginald Stuart Poole. The grandest of all books on Constantinople boasts the most beautiful collection of engraved views produced of the city by Antoine Melling (1763-1830).