Beschreibung:

Rare Almanach Americain, Asiatique et Africian, ou Etat Physique, Politique, Ecclesiastique et Militaire de l'Asie, de l'Afrique et de l'Amerique. Paris: l'Auter et Leroy, 1786. 24mo, contemporary leather, 386, [6], 82, [1]. Several signatures appear to be on blue paper. This is a "survey" of European, especially French, colonies around the world, such as various Caribbean islands, Senegal, Madagascar, etc., with information about the people, government, religion. The lot includes three volumes of an almanac that only the French would have published in the 19th century: Perigord, A.-B. de. Nouvel Almanach des Gourmands: Servant de Guide dans les Moyens de Faire Excellente Chere. Premiere Annee, 1825. Paris: Baudoin Freres. 24mo, full watered leather, speckled page edges, 238pp. The second (1826) and third (1827) volumes are also present, and both include a 7 x 9.25 in. fold-out map of the gastronomic regions of France with wonderful symbols for the various products: beef, honey, pork, wine (still and sparkling, of course), distilleries (in Cognac, but elsewhere, too), geese, chickens, fish (different varieties depicted), lobster, and much more. There is a 2 in. tear from center right edge of the 1826 map, and has some foxing, but 1827 (same chart) is intact and both are still lovely. It also gives an interesting view of how the French viewed their own "gastronomic geography" at the start of the second quarter of the 19th century. Plus Almanach de Gotha. Annuaire Diplomatique et Statistique. Gotha: Justus Perthes, 1849. 32mo, embossed cloth with gilt spine, 758, [2] pp. Provenance: Property from the Collection of Dr. Fred E. Schwab Condition: All have minor toning, scattered foxing. 1849 almanac with cellophane tape repair to head of spine.