Beschreibung:

DANIELL, Samuel (1775-1811). African Scenery and Animals at the Cape of Good Hope . London: [by the author, 1804-5, text watermarked 1805]. 2 parts. 2 aquatint dedicatory section titles with light sepia wash, 10 leaves of letterpress text, 30 hand-coloured aquatint plates on thick paper by Samuel and William Daniell on guards throughout. (Occasional light spotting, mostly to margins, minor offsetting onto tissue guards, the text leaves with slight creases down the centre, a few lightly browned.) Abbey Travel 321; Mendelssohn I,411; Nissen ZBI 1035; Tooley 168. Bound with: A Picturesque Illustration of the Scenery, Animals, and Native Inhabitants, of the Island of Ceylon . London: printed by T.Bensley, [1807-] 1808. Letterpress title and 4 text leaves, 11 hand-coloured aquatint plates, several partly printed in colour, one hand-coloured engraved plate, all on thick paper on guards. (Occasional light spotting, mostly to margins, text leaves with slight creases down the centre.) Abbey Travel 410; Nissen ZBI 1036; Tooley 170; De Silva Early Prints of Ceylon pp. 2-23. Two works bound in one vol., large broadsheets (575 x 435mm). Dark green morocco, gilt, covers with decorative rule and roll-tool border, rosette cornerpieces, central gilt-blocked Botfield arms, spine gilt in eight compartments, lettered in one, the others with geometrical design enclosing flower tools, gilt inner dentelles, marbled endpapers, g.e, by C. Smith (spine very slightly faded). A rare set of Samuel Daniell's two major works bound together, celebrating his travels in Southern Africa and Ceylon. Samuel was the younger brother of William and nephew of Thomas Daniell As a result of his interest in natural history and travel, and undoubtedly with the encouragement of his famous brother, he set off for the Cape of Good Hope soon after the first British occupation of the Colony, arriving in December 1799. He was appointed by Lieutenant-General Dundas as secretary and artist to Truter's expedition which set off in October 1801 to explore the region north and east of the Cape Colony, in the area of the Moloppo and Kuruman rivers (now Botswana borders). Daniell's own claim to fame on this expedition was his discovery of the source of the Kuruman river, the so-called 'eye', one of the natural wonders of Southern Africa. During his stay in Southern Africa he made numerous sketches which were used for this work and Sketches representing the Native Tribes . . . of Southern Africa , published posthumously in 1820 by his brother William. In 1805 Samuel continued on his travels, arriving in Galle in Ceylon in August of the same year. As a protégé of the new Governor Sir Thomas Maitland he was appointed the Secretary to the Board of Revenue and Commerce, and was later given a special appointment as Ranger of Woods and Forests, allowing him time to travel the length and breadth of the island. Ceylon remained his home, until he was struck down by illness and died in 1811 at the age of 36. Thomas Sutton in his work on the Daniell family describes his work in Southern Africa and Ceylon as "of such clarity and outstanding merit that they are sufficient to give a good idea of what Samuel might have achieved had he enjoyed a longer life. In these works he shows full control over his medium; his freshness of approach is apparent; his composition and colour are full of beauty; his animals delicately drawn . . . As an artist he was certainly the most inspired and original of the three relatives". Both works were published in parts with William Daniell certainly contributing to some of the engraving of the African Scenery and probably all of the engraving of the Ceylon views. As Samuel was in Ceylon while the work was being produced it is highly likely that he sent back the watercolours for his brother to engrave and publish.