Kitchener

1884 · ref. 54399 — London: The Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund 1884. First edition. Hardcover. Good- to very good condition. Large Quarto. Original brown cloth with gilt lettering and Exploration Fund emblems on cover and spine blind-stamped ruling on covers gilt on spine. Black endpapers. Frontispiece engravings with tissue guards in color in vol. three and seven. No frontispieces in vols. 4 and 6. Elaborate historiated initials. Decorative endpieces. Profusely illustrated with full page scenic gravures and woodcuts maps and numerous plans and an abundance of in-text drawings. Without General Index and Geological Memoir published later. The main contributors to this important survey were Conder and Kitchener. For his work Lieut. Conder received the thanks of the committee and the commendation of the Secretary of State for war. "It may fairly be claimed" wrote Sir Walter Besant "That nothing has ever been done for the illustration and right understanding of the historical portions of the Old and New Testaments since the translation into the vulgar tongue which can be compare with this great work." Kitchener later Field Marshal joined the Palestine Exploration Fund in 1874 beginning his involvement with the East which was to last almost for the remainder of his life. "These 'Memoirs' were drawn up from notes in the field by Lieutenants Conder and Kitchener. They are divided into 'Sheets' corresponding with the divisions of the Great Map of Western Palestine in twenty-six sheets on the scale of one inch a mile. The method pursued in the division and sub-division of the Memoirs was adopted in accordance with the recommendations of a sub-committee appointed for the purpose of considering the best mode of presenting the information in their hands." Preface Vol. I: Sheets I-VI. Galilee 1881. x 420pp. frontispiece 1 folding map Method of Survey 8 plans 20 plates. Vol. II: Sheets VII-XVI. Samaria 1882. vii 445pp. frontispiece 10 plans plan Kurn Surtubeh facing 397 not 387 as indicated 10 plates. Vol. III: Sheets XVII-XXVI. Judea 1883. vii 450pp. color frontispiece 5 plans 15 plates. Vol. IV: Arabic and English Name Lists Transl. and explained by E. H. Palmer 1881. v 438pp. Vol. V: Special Papers on Topography Archaeology Manners and Customs etc. by Sir Charles Wilson et al. 1881. Frontispiece map. viii 1 362pp. Vol. VI: Jerusalem by Sir Charles Warren and Claude Reignier Conder 1884. ix with pages v and vi paginated twice 6 plans 1 chart 1 Sloam Inscription 2 plates. Vol. VII: The Fauna and Flora of Palestine by H. B. Tristram 1884. xxii 455pp. Color frontispiece 20 plates 13 in color with plates 16 and 17 present but bound in at different pages compared to list of plates at front. Bindings with some light wear along edges more pronounced at heads and tails of spine. Library plates on inside front covers. Lightly starting at inside covers of vols. 1 2 4 5 starting in vol. 6. Light foxing of endpapers and blocks lightly and sporadic in blocks at times more pronounced. Frontispiece loose but present in vol. 1. Small bookbinder's plates A. W. Bain on inside back covers of three vols. Frontispiece loose but present in vols. 1 and 5. The Committee of the Palestine Exploration Fund hardcover