Up for sale is a 1st edition of the three volume set
"Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan, Performed in the Years 1852, 1853, and 1854, under the Command of Commodore M.C. Perry, United States Navy, by Order of the Government of the United States" plus the third volume entitled Observation of the Zodiacal Light.
The three volumes seem complete although this is impossible to go through and accurately document. I have done the best I can (see below) but know we offer full refunds with no questions asked, if you are missing plates you expected we will compensate for those as well. So here it goes
Volume 1. All plates are present including the nude bathing plate opposite page 418 which was pulled from many of these printings and is not listed in the plates at front. Plate listed in index as being at 256 is not there but is present at page 276 plate listed as being at 451 is at 452. Several fold out maps not listed in this index are present. I found no issues going through this volume with extra maps present and the censored plate present
Volume 2. This was the hardest one to figure out as there are different chapters and not an overarching index. The biggest / only real issue I found relates to the fish plates. Based on descriptions of the book there are supposed to be 10 colored plates which there are. However they are backwards in order and start at plate 12 and go backwards to only plate 3. 10 are present but the plates do not go to 0. However they start at 12 and go 3 so there are 10 plates. As far as maps go. They are all folded in back and present. Counting those and other folded maps in volumes these add up to the number expected to be present. I will cause more damage to them by opening each one then just leaving them alone so they are assumed present. (Note condition issues below first map has a tear)
Volume 3 is easiest. Pages number correctly and plates are part of this numbering.
In any event, this is almost all if not entirely complete. Again, I will work with you if there is an issue of a missing plate. These volumes were not poached for plates or have had anything systematically removed. If something is missing it almost certainly is a result of the irregular printing process. Again, if you are considering purchasing this, you know there are hundreds of plates, maps and prints.
Overall good condition. Most issues relate to boards. Volume 1 has significant damage at spine. Boards are connected but loose. All three volumes have previous owner signature. Boards on other two are better but still with wear and dings. Internally generally Vg condition. Light browning, some wear and nicks and dings at edges in various places. Overall a nice but not perfect set. Has not been restored so everything is original.
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