GELL, William (1777-1836). The Topography of Troy, and its Vicinity. London: C. Whittingham for T.N. Longman and O. Rees, 1804.

First edition of "certainly the most beautiful book on Troy ever published" (Lascarides). The geography of the ancient city of Troy is vividly if imprecisely described in Homer's Iliad, and the search for the "real" Troy captivated antiquarian-minded scholars and travelers for centuries. Gell, developing the theories of Jean Baptiste LeChevalier, located the ancient city at Bounarbashi—just three miles south of the currently accepted site at Hisarlik. Gell, known for his rapid sketching ability and strong visual memory, was also friends with Lord Byron, who immortalized him in a poem: "Of Dardan tours let dilettanti tell, / I leave topography to classic Gell." Abbey Travel 399; Blackmer 660; Lascarides, The Search For Troy, 81

Folio (431 x 268mm). Hand-colored engraved vignette on title-page; 31 engraved and aquatint plates on 30 sheets, 3 of which folding, and 14 mostly hand-colored vignettes, numbered 1-45 (some light toning and spotting, one folding plate trimmed just affecting outer corner and with short tear). Contemporary black morocco, gilt-stamped with Greek key design, edges gilt (neatly rebacked with repairs at corners, preserving original endpapers and spine panel). Provenance: Cirencester bookplate.