Notes of a Naturalist in South America

Description:

First edition. John Ball (1818-1889) was an Irish-born naturalist, politician and Alpine traveller. Following the foundation of the Alpine Club in December 1857 he served as its first president (1858-1860). In the company of Sir Joseph Hooker (1817-1911) he visited Morocco and the Atlas Mountains between April and June 1871, and their joint work , Journal of a Tour in Marocco and the Great Atlas, a descriptive of the excursion, was first published in 1878.

Borba de Moraes, p. 68.

Condition

8vo, orig. blue cloth, minor rubbing to corners, gt title to spine, black rules to head/foot of boards and spine; light foxing to edges and endpapers, occasionally elsewhere; two short tears to folding map, one to blank inner margin, one just entering the printed area at bottom edge. Author's signed inscription to half-title, 'To Miss North, with the kindest wishes of an old friend'. It is almost certain that this 'Miss North' is in fact Marianne North (1830-1890), British painter and traveller. Marianne North travelled to every continent in the world, often alone, laden with palettes and easels, and enduring hardships and dangers. She received support and recognition from, among others, Sir William and Sir Joseph Hooker, successive directors of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew (both friends of her father). The results of her travels were her astonishing collection of over 800 paintings, which she presented to Kew Gardens during the directorship of Sir Joseph Hooker. These paintings are now housed in the Marianne North Gallery at Kew. Author's obituary, with contemporary manuscript note 'Times' Oct. 23rd 1889' (probably in Marianne North's hand), pasted to front endpaper. A very good copy with an extremely interesting association.