India.- Trapaud (Elisha) [Twenty Views of India], 20 aquatint plates by J.G. Wells after Trapaud, the first eight printed in sepia, the remainder in a darker tone, each c.330 x 460mm., without title, as issued, with 3 leaves of descriptive text, some foxing and browning, mostly to margins, some marginal staining/dust-soiling including text leaves, plate images generally clean, modern calf, gilt, over old boards, spine in compartments, each with gilt trophy motif, [Abbey Travel 417], [John Stockdale], 1788.

⁂ Extremely rare complete set of views by Captain Elisha Trapaud (c.1750-1828), possibly of Huguenot origin, who spent two years in Sumatra with the East India Company, 1776-78, before joining the Madras Engineers in 1779. His travels included further surveying in Sumatra, Penang, and then extensively, in 1787, to produce what Stockdale's prospectus for this work described as 'Twenty original views, taken in different parts of India'. Although from the heyday of English aquatint depictions of India, along with those by Hodges, the Daniells, and later Colebrooke, Salt and Grindlay, Trapaud's work long remained in obscurity and scarcity, hence being so prized now.

Provenance: West Dean library; given in memory of John Duthoit, ARIBA, both labels on front pastedown.