Observations upon the Antiquities of the Town of Herculaneum

Cochin, Charles Nicolas (1715-90) and Jérôme Charles Bellicard (1726-86). Observations upon the antiquities of the town of Herculaneum, discovered at the foot of Mount Vesuvius . . . vii, 236, [4]pp. 42 engraved plates. London: D. Wilson and T. Durham, 1753 [sic]. Modern full morocco gilt. Light toning but very good.

First Edition in English. The publication date on the title is certainly an error, as the English edition was translated from the French edition of 1754. Cochin, an engraver, and Bellicard, an architect, visited Herculaneum circa 1750 during a tour of Italy led by Madame de Pompadour's brother, Poisson de Vandières. Their book, published in both French and English editions, helped to generate a great deal of interest in the Herculaneum ruins, particularly the theater, which was the first of the buildings at Herculaneum to be excavated. The many illustrations include a plan of the theater (showing the numerous trenches dug by Alcubierre and his workers) and images of sculptures, mosaics, utensils, household items, etc. Bellicard's plan of Herculaneum Augusteum, also known as the Basilica, was the first widely published plan from Herculaneum.