The Letter of Columbus on his Discovery of the New World (1989)
Description
The Letter of Columbus on his Discovery of the New World (1989)
by Columbus, Christopher
Publication: Los Angeles: USC Fine Arts Press, 1989
Edition limited to 326 copies, this one No. 124 of 300 numbered copies bound in turquoise, quarter morocco-backed paper boards. Published by USC Fine Arts Press, Los Angeles. 1989. 48, [4] pp. Complete. Printed in blue and black ink on Frankfurt Cream mould made paper. Facsimile of the 1493 Latin edition of The Letter; 6 full-page woodcuts; and title page with map from a sketch chart by Columbus. Reproduced in actual size from photo engravings of the copy housed in Special Collections of the Doheny Memorial Library. Includes the English translation of The Letter from his book, "Christopher Columbus, Mariner." This facsimile was produced under the direction of Gerald Lange, becoming the recipient of the first annual Carl Hertzog Award for Excellence in Book Design. Slight fading to spine else a FINE COPY.
Columbus's letter on the first voyage is the first known document announcing the results of the first voyage of Christopher Columbus that set out in 1492 and reached the Americas. The letter was ostensibly written by Columbus himself, on February 15, 1493, aboard the caravel Niña, while still at sea, on the return leg of his voyage. The letter was instrumental in spreading the news throughout Europe about Columbus's voyage. Almost immediately after Columbus's arrival in Spain, printed versions of the letter began to appear. A Spanish version of the letter was printed in Barcelona by early April 1493, and a Latin translation was published in Rome around a month later. The Latin version was swiftly disseminated and reprinted in many other locations within the first year of his arrival.
Considered one of the most important documents ever printed. For a century, Italian officials believed a rare copy of a letter was safely housed in Rome. No one noticed when a thief swapped the 1493 account with a forgery. But in 2011, American authorities received a tip: Columbus’s letters from several libraries across Europe — including one in Italy — had been replaced with counterfeit copies.
Price: $275
Shipping: FREE via USPS Media Mail
Inventory Number: 76131
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