Lewis's Illustrations of Constantinople made during a Residence in that City &c. in the Years 1835-6. Arranged and drawn on Stone from the original Sketches of Coke Smyth By John F. Lewis.

RA Collection: Book

Record number

06/1132

Variant Title

Illustrations of Constantinople

Imprint

London: Published by T.Mc.Lean, 26, Haymarket, D. & P. Colnaghi, Pall Mall East and John F. Lewis, 78, Wimpole Street. C. Hullmandel's Lithography, [1838]

Physical Description

[2] f., [25] leaves carrying [27] pl.; 550 mm. (Broadsheet.)

General Note

The plates carry no numbers, but in the 'List of Subjects' are assigned numbers I - XXVIII - no. 'I' being the frontispiece, 'XXVIII' being the title-plate vignette, and each of the pairs 'X, XI' and 'XX, XXI' being carried on one sheet.

[Pl. 'I' = frontis.] - [T.pl. incl. vignette = pl. 'XXVIII'; engr. dedic.; engr. 'List of Subjects'] - [Plates 'II' - 'XXVII'].

Responsibility Note

All plates are signed or initialled by J.F. Lewis, apart from pl. 'V', 'VI', 'VII', 'XII', 'XIV', XV', 'XVII', 'XXI', 'XXIII'.

The work is dedicated by John Frederic Lewis to King William IV and Queen Adelaide.

References

RIBA, Early printed, 2 (1995), no.1886; Travel In Aquatint And Lithography 1770-1860 From The Library Of J.R. Abbey ... Volume II (1972, repr. 1991), no.394, p.350.

M. Lewis, John Frederick Lewis RA (1978).

E. Ihsanoglu, Istanbul: a glimpse into the past (1987); M.A. Stevens, The Orientalists: Delacroix to Matisse [Royal Academy exhibition catalogue] (1984).

Summary Note

The publication-date of 1838 is generally assigned to this work in the catalogues. The publication-date of 1837 is included with Lewis's initials within the vignette on the title-plate. This date is repeated with the signatures of plates 'I' (frontis.), 'IX', 'XVI', 'XXII', 'XXVII'.

The plates show picturesque views of Constantinople and its inhabitants. Plates 'XXIV - XXVI' show views of Brussa. They are all lithographs tinted in one color. Abbey states that the plates were also published coloured and mounted in a portfolio.

Binding Note

19th-century quarter green morocco, green cloth-covered boards, upper cover gilt-stamped 'Lewis's Constantinople'; spine lettered 'Lewis's Sketches Of Constantinople' and 'R.A.'

Name as Subject

John Frederick Lewis RA

Subject

Architecture, Ottoman - Mosques - Turks - Turkey - Istanbul - Bursa - History
Views - Travel sketches - Great Britain - 19th century
Pictorial works - Lithographs - Great Britain - 19th century