The Peaks and Valleys of the Alps.

Elijah Walton's fine colour plate views of the Western Alps, including the Matterhorn, Mont Blanc, Monte Viso, Aosta Valley, Dent Du Midi, and The Grivola. The present edition is the reissue of the original subscribers' edition first published in 1867.

In 1862 William Matthews, the founder of the Alpine Club, first commissioned the landscape artist Elijah Walton to travel to the Alps, and for the next five years he journeyed to various parts of the region to paint. The text for Peaks and Valleys is by the geologist T.G. Bonney who, having himself made nine visits to the Alps, testifies to the Ruskinian authenticity of Walton's views, praising them favourably to 'photographs of mountains [which] are rarely satisfactory, and generally make them appear lower and far less impressive than they really are...' (Introduction).

Folio (55.9 x 36 cm). 8pp, additional tinted lithographed title, 21 chromolithographs by J.H. Lowes after Elijah Walton, each mounted as issued with printed caption in margin, tissue guards, each plate with descriptive text, inner hinges a little cracked, some light spotting to endpapers, previous owner's signature on front pastedown; publisher's original brown half morocco, gilt lettered to upper cover; a very good copy.

NeateW11; Perret 4512.