Survey of Western Palestine: Memoirs of the Topography, Orography, Hydrography, and Archaeology. 7 Vols

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 (truncated) 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. (Inventory #: 54399)