Théophile Barrois et Benjamin Duprat

Second edition, corrected and expanded. The first appeared without the author's name and benefited from only a limited print run, which is why it is found only very rarely. The illustration comprises a frontispiece portrait of Hussein Pasha, a folding map, and 10 tables on the state of the army. 7 plates for L'univers pittoresque.
Contemporary full green sheep binding. Smooth spine decorated with 2 tools and a large central romantic tool in mirror design, fillets and rolls. Burgundy morocco title label. Traces of rubbing to headcaps and corners. Handsome copy.
Commander Fernel (1793-1854) was attached to the general staff of the African army; he recounts in this work with legitimist tendencies the history of the taking of Algiers. The last chapter is devoted to the particularities of the region: date palms, sugar cane, pomegranates, camels... This campaign, as we know, would have considerable repercussions on the French presence in North Africa. At the end, the copy has been extra-illustrated with the section of L'Univers pittoresque on Algiers, written by Rozet, captain of engineers, which contains 7 steel-engraved plates.

First edition and first issue of the illustrations, without the table of plates which was later printed at the bottom of page XLIII and the beginning of page XLIV of the text volume (cf. Louandre et Bourquelot, I, p. 46. Blackmer, 33, mentions a large folding map bound in the atlas which, in fact, does not belong to the work).

The atlas volume contains the complete set of 10 plates, including 4 lithographs engraved by Faure after drawings by Préaux and lithographed by Langlumé.

Text volume bound in contemporary full tree calf, flat spine gilt with double fillets and naval anchors, red morocco label, gilt roll tooling to head- and tailpieces, gilt rolls framing the boards, marbled endpapers and pastedowns, red edges, gilt fillets on board edges.

Atlas volume bound in contemporary half marbled calf, flat spine with gilt double fillets, red morocco label, marbled paper-covered boards.

Some minor foxing to the atlas, small restoration to the title-page of the text volume.

A rare and appealing set.