Alexander von Humboldt : the complete drawings from the American travel journals / [Alexander von Humboldt] ; Ottmar Ette, Julia Maier ; [translation, Vera Kutzinski].

  • Humboldt, Alexander von, 1769-1859
Date:
[2018]
  • Books

About this work

Also known as

Alexander von Humboldt. English
Complete drawings from the American travel journals

Description

This stunning volume delves into the extraordinary illustrated notebooks of Alexander von Humboldt's journeys through the Americas, which reveal the graphic musings of an intrepid explorer, a writer and philosopher and the father of the environmental movement. At the dawn of the 19th century, the Prussian explorer was granted permission to charter an expedition to Spain's colonies in the New World. Over the course of five years, Humboldt would travel to the Orinoco and Amazon rivers, predict the agricultural and commercial potential of Cuba, climb higher in the Andes than anyone before him and acknowledge the achievements of the ancient indigenous American civilizations. He recorded it all in a series of diaries. On occasion of the 250th anniversary of Humboldt's birth, the drawings from these diaries are now available in a Large format, slip-cased edition. Structured thematically, the illustrations have been painstakingly reproduced, complete with handwritten notes, ink stains and water spots. In addition to being remarkably well preserved, these drawings offer tremendous insight into Humboldt's prescient observations.

Publication/Creation

Munich ; London ; New York : Prestel, [2018]

Physical description

735 pages : illustrations (some colour), maps (some colour), facsimiles (some colour) ; 36 cm

Notes

Translation of: Alexander von Humboldt : Bilder-Welten : die Zeichnungen aus den Amerikanischen Reisetagebüchern. ©2018.
Images from Humboldt's Voyage aux régions équinoxiales du nouveau continent, 1799-1804.
Result of a research project on Humboldt's travel diaries directed by Ottmar Ette.
Issued in a slipcase.

Bibliographic information

Includes bibliographical references (pages 725-727) and indexes.

Contents

Foreword / Prof. Dr. Hermann Parzinger -- Introduction / Ottmar Ette -- Editorial note / Julia Maier -- The complete drawings. Trigonometry and surveying ; Sky and cosmos ; Surface and interior of the earth ; Living beings ; Culture ; Materiality -- Original quotations in foreign languages.

Language note

Text in English translated from German.

Languages

Where to find it

  • LocationStatus
    Folios
    AN.78.AA8
    Open shelves

Permanent link

Identifiers

ISBN

  • 9783791383545
  • 379138354X