A Picturesque Tour of the Islands of Jamaica, from drawings made in the years 1820 and 1821

Book Description

London: Hurst and Robinson, [1824-]1825. Small folio. 21 hand-coloured aquatint plates and twenty-one leaves of explanatory text. (Occasional light spotting). Modern three quarter calf and marbled boards, spine richly gilt, gilt morocco label. A fine copy of this rare and handsomely- produced book of wonderful Caribbean views of what was, at the time, one of England's richest overseas colonies. A spectacular book of views devoted entirely to Jamaica, showing scenes in the capital, on plantations, and in the interior. Trained as an architect, James Hakewill is best known for his illustrated publications, of which this must surely be one of the finest. The aquatints, which were produced from some of the drawings executed by Hakewill on the island, (a list is provided on pages 15-16) are particularly fine and were published between 1824 and 1825 in parts, as described in Abbey. The series of aquatints are preceded by a preface which takes the form of an introduction to the institution ofslavery on Jamaica, as well as an "Historical Sketch of the Island of Jamaica." Each plate is followed by a short description on the opposite page; however, there are extended descriptions of Spanish Town, Kingston and Port Royal, Port Maria and Montego Bay, which cover both the following verso and recto. Abbey Travel II,683; Cundall 290; Ragatz p.225; Sabin 29591; Tooley 240

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