4to. Volume I: xxiv, 453 pp., [17] / Volume II: viii, 537 pp., [4], 2 engraved frontispieces, 28 plates (7 folding), engraved by Duflos after Boucher & Halle comprising scenes illustrating Turkish characters and costumes, full calf, lightly rubbed, title gilt on raised decorated spine, marbled endpapers, title page printed in red and black, numerous engraved initials and head-tail pieces, all edges red, small shelf label at top spine, small tear to one folding plate in Volume II without loss, minor damp stain to margins, otherwise a fine copy with wide margins, Pierre Mortier & Mérigot et Piget, Amsterdam / Paris, second edition, 1747.

Synopsis

The first edition of this work appeared in Paris; Volume I was published by Coustelier in 1746, and Volume II was published by Mérigot et Piget in 1747. At the same time they reissued Volume I with their own imprint, and they either gave permission to Pierre Mortier of Amsterdam to sell the work with his own name attached to it, or he pirated the work by buying up original sheets and providing new title-pages.
Colas identifies copies with the imprint containing only Mortier’s name (as this Vol. I) as piracies. The title page to this Volume II appears to be that of the genuine second edition published by Mérigot and Piget, but with Mortier’s name added to the imprint. In any case the original sheets have been used in all these issues/or piracies. In this issue Guer’s name appears only on the title of Volume II. In the true second edition it appears on the title of Volume I as well. Guer did not travel in the Levant; the text of the work is compiled from Grelot, Busbecq, Belon, Rycaut, Maillet, etc. In fact, to his contemporaries Guer was best known as the editor of Maillet’s Telliamed. His Turkish work is of considerable interest for its plates, which were engraved by Duflos after designs by Boucher and Halle and which consist of views and scenes illustrating Turkish characters and costumes. They also include a folding double page panorama of Constantinople. These plates are particularly charming.
Bibliographic references: Blackmer 762; Weber, 761; Brunet II, 1783 for first edition; Colas 1348, 1349; Atabey 534; Cohen-Ricci 465; Lipperheide 1418; Ebert 9052.