Monsieur Bougainville Hoisting French Colours on a Small Rock in the Maghellan Streights
29 x 18 cm copperplate engraving, 34 x 22 cm sheet size, modern hand colour, Alexander Hogg, London, 1778
We are pleased to offer this scarce original 18th century print from Moore's Voyages and Travels depicting a salient moment in the first Frenchman to circumnavigate the globe Louis-Antoine de Bougainville (1729–1811). A contemporary English commentator described the scene with sarcasm:
"Monsieur Bougainville and his party landed on a small rock, which barely afforded room for four persons to stand on, and here they hoisted the colours of the boat, and repeatedly shouted Vive le Roi. . . . A Striking instance of the vanity by which the French nation is distinguished!"
A finely engraved if somewhat unintentionally comic image, the print exhibits hand colour work of the finest calibre and will make an important addition to any collection related to 18th century maritime exploration and a fine presentation if matted and framed. Moreover it will serve as a reminder of an important charitable contribution - 100% of the proceeds from your purchase will be donated to Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) whose important humanitarian work sadly remains in high demand around the globe.
To get a sense of print detail consider that the distance from the top of the mainmast to the waterline of Bougainville's flagship Boudeuse in the background measures just 55 mm actual size:
Condition - Please note carefully: Print is in very good condition as can be ascertained from photos, distinct platemark, full margins, image area essentially pristine, slightly uneven trim to margin edges, no text on verso, fine quality laid paper with scattered and extremely faint offset from facing text in unprinted margin areas. Inquiries welcome and we encourage you to visit our other auctions on eBay.
Note: Final auction price includes insured shipment within continental United States. All other customers to pay actual shipping costs via traceable means including full insurance. International buyers are wholly responsible for any applicable customs fees, duties or taxes upon receipt; these charges are NOT included in shipping charges or unit pirce. International buyers should verify what charges would apply to any resultant transaction with customs officials in their countries prior to bidding. Such charges are typically collected by the courier, e.g. FedEx, and are NOT additional shipping or handling fees.
Terms and Conditions - Please read carefully: Payment accepted via PayPal. This secure eBay-owned service allow buyers around the world to use existing credit cards to make purchases and will result in immediate shipment. Please note that we do not bill credit cards directly - payment must be processed through PayPal. If you are unable or unwilling to utilise this convenient means of electronic payment, please contact us prior to placing any bids to see if alternate payment arrangements can be made. Bank wire transfers are acceptable on auctions over $500.00 or in countries where PayPal is not available; on auctions over $2000.00 bank wire transfer is preferred. Personal cheques will not be accepted. Successful bidders are expected to adhere to eBay policies in establishing contact within three days of auction closing time and completing transactions in a timely manner. We reserve the right to declare this auction void if there is a disruption to eBay operations during the two hour period prior to auction close. In such event, all bidders will be notified and the item will be relisted.
- Bidders are cautioned that the problem of fraudulent "second chance offer" emails sent to unsuccessful bidders on eBay auctions has reached epidemic proportions. Please be advised that we NEVER participate in the "second chance offer" program on eBay and that any such email is illegitimate and intended to defraud. Please forward any such emails received regarding any of our auctions with full headers to the Transaction Interception department of eBay's SafeHarbor office. In addition, both successful and unsuccessful bidders are cautioned to be exceptionally vigilant regarding "spoofed" emails, fraudulent PayPal invoices and other common scams.
In response to frequent inquiries, please be advised that the terms engraving, lithograph, woodcut etc. as used in our auction descriptions denote a PRINT, i.e. an image printed on a sheet of paper, and that all such items are unconditionally guaranteed to be original and authentic - we never offer reproductions. Please see our glossary for definitions of terminology used in our auction descriptions. We conduct our business in accordance with the Code of Ethics of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association of America and are committed to complete customer satisfaction with every purchase. We encourage you to evaluate our eBay customer feedback as a convenient means of gauging our performance and reputation.
"Some to beautify their halls, parlours and chambers... liketh, loveth, getteth, and useth maps, charts, and geographical globes" - John Dee (1527-1608)
"...Maps begin as dreams, pass through a finite life in the world, and resume as dreams again..," - Thomas Pynchon
Maps and Atlases
Globes and Planetaria
Historic Town Views and Plans
Engravings, Woodcuts and Lithographs
Books and Ephemera
Scientific Instruments
Curiosities and Oddities
