The Ancient Cities of the New World Being Voyages and Explorations in Mexico and Central America from 1857-1882

large 8vo [26 x 18.5 cm]; xlvi, 514, [ii, ads] pp, frontis (port), folding map, partly hand-colored, other maps, very well-illustrated including many plates. original blue cloth with vignette on front cover in gilt, red and silver, gilt title lettering on front cover and spine, top edge gilted, edges a bit rubbed, spine ends a little frayed, but very clean, near fine interior in very good cover. A picture of t Griffin 1157: "Incidents of travel, often entreatingly written, and descriptions of Mexican and Maya antiquities." Welch 60. Palau 67185. Spain and Spanish America I, 161. Cundall 1090. Hiliton 2257. The author describes the peoples and country, Yucatan and Central America, including the Mayan cites of Tenenepanco, Bellote, Comalcalco, Palenque, Merida, Izamal, Chichen-Itza, Uxmal, Campeche, Mitla, Tikal, Copan and others and provides excellent illustrations of buildings, artifacts, art, plans, etc. Charnay is an admired successor to John Lloyd Stephens and Catherwood and his early photographs of the ruins are a superb and important record. 'An expedition which received stron support in the United States, and enriched the museums of Paris and Washington with valuable collections' (ix).