Dapper Days in China

Engravings of religious, civic and natural scenes of China

as understood or believed by Europeans in the 1670s

[All the images have been cropped but I don't recall doing much

in the way of background cleaning or any other adjustments]

Despite never leaving his homeland, Amsterdam clergyman and doctor, Olfert Dapper (1635-1689), became an historical travel writer during the Dutch ascendancy in the Golden Age of exploration and discovery*.

The book featured above was just one title from a renowned body of work Dapper turned out, introducing an enthusiastic public to little known exotic locations from around the world. What Dapper may have lacked in first hand experience, he more than made up for in academic diligence over a quarter of a century of painstaking geographical and ethnological research.

After publishing an initial history of Amsterdam in the early 1660s, Dapper went on to write valuable and well respected books on Africa (his best-known), Persia, Asia, Georgia, Arabia and, of course, China. Far from being mere repetitions of earlier works though (as I admit I was expecting to discover), Dapper's books appear to have been rather exceptional in the world of educational scholarship for their time:

"Dapper avoided all ethnocentric connotations and became the first person to adopt an interdisciplinary approach, weaving together the separate threads of geography, economics, politics, medicine, social life and customs. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Dapper produced a genuine work for posterity, not just a compendium of exotic curiosities." [source]

The illustrations for Dapper's 'Description of China' were undoubtedly produced by Jacob Van Meurs, a fellow countryman with his own celebrated reputation as cartographic engraver, who collaborated with Dapper on a number of projects. The visual recording of the country runs the gamut from what is likely faithful renderings of idols and religious and civil buildings from Taiwan and the Mainland, to mystical approximations or downright absurdities and fanciful botanical and biological specimens.

A few of the illustrations are obviously produced by, or copied after, traditional Chinese artists. Dapper relied on a large number of sources, including first hand visitor reports, and it's logical to assume that some of the illustration work was modelled after earlier efforts or became exaggerated the further away from the original source or travel report they got. If you publish a new style of book (travel literature) with outlandish and fabricated pictures that can't be readily checked for accuracy, so much the better for publicity and profits no doubt.

• 'Beschryving Des Keizerryks Van Taising Of Sina: Vertoont in de Benaming, Grens-palen, Steden, Stroomen, Bergen ... Tale, Letteren, &c. ; Verciert met verscheide Koopere Plaeten' is online in full at Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg (1670) [click anything below 'Inhalt' and then on 'Vorschau', up top, for thumbnail pages of the whole book] {the middlish Dutch translates approximately to: 'Description of the Empire of Taising or China: outlined through the place names, border markers, cities, streams/rivers, ... language, letters, etc and illustrated with various copperplate engravings'} .
• The Olfert Dapper Museum in Paris is bilingual and includes about the best biography of our protagonist online [W].
• See the previous Conjuring 17th Century Japan BibliOdyssey post that shows more of Jacob van Meurs' characteristic illustration style. (I was very tempted up above to quote myself quoting myself from my original quote, but I feared the blog would collapse under the weight of rhetorical recursion, despite said quote from said post from unsaid book still having merit)
• Books featuring - Olfert Dapper & Jacob van Meurs.
• The Digital Library of Dutch Literature (DBNL) biographic/bibliographic record for Olfert Dapper [T]
• Thanks Nina!
• Addit: One particular book (series) that conveyed insight into the true nature of Dapper's work - at least, seen in snippets - 'Asia in the Making of Europe' by Donald F Lach (1990s)

Paris Boulevards

Hand-coloured etchings of 1870s street 

scenes in Paris by A.-P Martial

'Les Boulevards de Paris' - title page / preface

*the text is approx. the etymology of the word boulevard
*horse-drawn vehicles = véhicules hippomobiles
*Porte Saint-Denis [monument] seen top left

Boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle : Rues de la Lune, Beauregard et de Cléry

Boulevard Poissonnière : Voitures, chaussées (cars [cabs], roads)

*featuring Colonnes Morris : Morris columns (in colour) displaying advertisements

Passage de l'Opéra : Boulevard des Italiens^

Boulevard Saint-Martin : Théâtres de la Renaissance^ et de la Porte Saint Martin

Bureau des omnibus

Boulevard de la Madeleine : Station des Omnibus

Omnibus de l'Odéon

Eglise de Bonne-Nouvelle

*Florist's street store with the Church of Good News in the background

Perron du Théâtre Déjazet Gaité - Folies dramatiques : Boulevard du Temple

Refuge rue de Sèze

Tavernier Bonvalet - Jardin Turc : Boulevard du Temple

Boulevard Montmartre. : Passage Jouffroy

{Les Passages Couverts}

Boulevard Montmartre : Passage des Panoramas [W & F]

Boulevard des Italiens : Tortoni

*Tortoni: the dessert legends: ONE -><- TWO

Boulevard des Italiens - Librairie Nouvelle^

Boulevard des Capucines : Place de l'Opéra

"The Boulevard des Capucines is one of the four 'grands boulevards' in Paris, a chain of boulevards running east-west that also includes Boulevard de la Madeleine, Boulevard des Italiens, and Boulevard Montmartre."

Boulevard des Capucines : Maison Violet rue Scribe

"The tone is essentially aristocratic. Inner boudoirs sell the paraphernalia of the toilette, notably the house’s own exclusive ‘Reine des Abeilles’, or Queen Bee, cosmetic preparations, by appointment to the Empress."*

"*The Guide to Gay Paree 1869 – Part 5: Shopping" is an excerpt from 'Paris Partout! A guide for the English and American Traveller in 1869 or How to see PARIS for 5 guineas' [see all 8 posts excerpted from that book] -- from the Victorian Paris: Life in 19th Century Paris blog.

Figaro

*Le Figaro is a daily newspaper founded in 1826 [F--E--W]

Boulevard Bonne Nouvelle : Poste de Police

*Florist (+/- itinerant traders) outside police station

Boulevard Beaumarchais - Théâtre Beaumarchais

*The Beaumarchais Theatre, in the 4th arrondissement^, was established in 1835 and rebuilt in 1892 (the scene features a street toilet)


{All the images above have been cropped from their usual appearance as centrally-located, small illustrations on otherwise blank pages; a few have been very lightly background cleaned. Library stamps have been removed from each print and the images above with black borders were spliced together from screenshots}


'Les Boulevards de Paris' (1877) consists - here - of a suite of forty six etched prints by M-Potémont, hosted by Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie. [other names associated with this work : E de Saulnat, Xavier Aubryet, Faugere-Dubourg and (?V) Prouté -- editor(s) & publisher(s)]

I say -here-, above, as it seems that a few different editions of this material may have been released - perhaps for different markets - in 1877 (and after then too). One book has half the number of illustrations; another has a longer title and there might be varying amounts of accompanying text as well. All of this is quite esoteric and beyond the scope of this blog entry: it's something for the keen bibliographers out there to investigate, if they wish. [the situation is made complicated by the illustrator's long history of sketching Parisian outdoor scenes]

Jules Adolphe Theodore Martial-Potémont (known professionally, most often, as A.-P Martial) (1827-1883) was a French painter, engraver and etcher. His preferred medium was etching in which he produced a larger number of illustrations over a forty year period, primarily for the publisher, Alfred Cadart.

Martial spent some years honing his craft on the island of Réunion (near Madagascar) before returning for the Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1867. His art was on display at the Salon of Paris for four decades and, despite the range of subjects and styles through his works (from children's books to landscape painting), Martial was perhaps best remembered for the etchings he made of Paris scenes - in a sense he was the city's historical reporter.

As Neil writes at Idbury Prints:--->>> "A great many of Martial's etchings take his home city of Paris as their subject, starting with the 300 etchings collected as L'Ancien Paris in 1864, and including several portolios inspired by the turmoils of 1870-1871. All published by Cadart, these include Paris pendant la Siège (12 etchings), Paris Incendié (12 etchings), Paris sous la Commune (12 etchings), Les femmes de Paris pendant la guerre (15 etchings), Les Marins de la défense de Paris (16 etchings), and Les Prussiens chez nous (12 etchings), comprising six or the twelve parts of Cadart's grand publication Paris, Siège et Commune."

'Les Boulevards de Paris' was no doubt an homage to the artist's birthplace, but since publication, it has been rightfully touted as an advertisement and travel guide for prospective visitors to the city of Paris.

• Adolphe Martial-Potémont Wikipedia [T]
• Idbury Prints on A. -P Marial.
• VIA the BnF's Gallica blog, which also reports on some older Martial prints. [T]
• Artfact lot [T].
• Entry at Toronto Library.
• Previously: France.
• Addit. Amazon listing.

Jack of All Trades

This rather rare children's book of poetry and lithographic illustrations relating to various kinds of employment - some quite unusual - was first published in Fleet St in London in 1900. Text by JJ Bell. Illustrations by C Robinson.

Jack of All Trades - Title Page

The Phrenologist

Little Johannes jumped over his bed,
Little Johannes arrived on his head.
Oh, what a thump!
Oh, what a bump!
Big as a plum, and nearly as red!

"Call the phrenologist!" somebody said.

The great man came! Oh, wasn't he wise,
With a pair of blue spectacles over his eyes?

He felt the boy's head with finger and thumb:
he stopped at the bump, and remarked, "Ha, Hum!"
Oh, wasn't he wise?
He said that Johannes -if nothing went wrong-
Would likely do something before very long!

And this is the end of my beautiful song.
But, wasn't he wise?

The Bookseller

Bookseller, Bookseller, why do you weep?
Because I must sell my books far too cheap.

Bookseller, Bookseller, why do you grin?
Because an old lady is just coming in.

Bookseller, Bookseller, why all this joy?
Because she requires a nice book for a boy.

Bookseller, Bookseller, why do you cough?
Ahem! Well, the discount forgot to come off.

Bookseller, Bookseller, why are you gay?
Beause it's my best of business to-day.

Bookseller, Bookseller, why are you mad?
Because the half-sovereign I changed her is bad.

The Railway Porter

Porter, Porter, do not lag-
Take this heavy Gladstone-bag,
Take this big portmanteau, and
Take this bird-cage in your hand-
(Mind the bird!)- and, wait a minute,
Take this case with china in it-
(Do be careful!)- and. I say,
Take these parcels-yes, but stay-
Take yon gun-case painted yellow,
With the golf-clubs and the umbrello!

Just three seconds now remain-
We must run to catch the train.

Thank you, Porter for your trouble,
I must really tip you double ...
Here's a penny!

The Hosier

The Hosier sells me a pair of new hose
To wear when I go out a-biking,
And the hosier tells me--and surely he knows--
The effect will be lovely and striking.

I have asked our kind artist to sketch for this book
Myself and my bike and my hose.
You may not like the page at the very first look--
But, believe me, the charm of it grows!

The Shoemaker

I called upon the Shoemaker,
To buy a pair of pumps.
"I want them nice and strong," said I;
"I live in Glasgow, where the sky
"Sends down the rain in lumps."

The shoemaker, he tweaked his chin,
And seemed to think a few.
At last he said: "Good, Sir, I fear
"You'll have to get an engineer
"To make those pumps for you."

The Tobacconist

All day these two bad boys were missed--
They'd been to the Tobacconist!
Of cigarettes they smoked a lot,
And now they wish that they had not.

How sad they make their mother look!
How coud they so displease her?
Behold the pale-faced Ebenezer!

Their Pa puts down his Kipling book,
To each says, "Follow me, Sir!"
Exit the moaning Habakkuk,
The groaning Ebenezer!

The Cyclist

I'd rather be a cyclist
Than any other beast.
For tho' he slays he never stays
Upon the slain to feast.

It's pleasant to remember,
While lying on the stones,
How, tho' you're dead, you needn't dread
That he will pick your bones.

He comes! You fall!! He's gone! - that's all!!
He doesn't mind the least.
Oh! I'd rather be a cyclist
Than any other beast!

The Photographer

The man who takes my photograph,
Tries very hard to make me laugh-
The naughty man! he makes me sad.
He taps his box, and says: "My dear,
"I've got a little bird in here!"
Oh, such a fib is awful bad!

He says, if I look nice and gay,
The little bird will come my way
In less than half-a-minute.
I know quite well, although he knocks
And whistles at his likeness box,
There's not a dicky in it.

Below a cloth he hides his head-
(He's sorry for the things he's said,
The naughty man! to make me laugh.)
But when he's feeling good again,
He comes all smiling from his den,
And squirts a funny ball, and then-
Why, then he's got my photograph!

The Turncock*

The Turncock thinks he is a Toff!
He turns the water on and off.
But should he have a nice tall hat
For such a little thing as that?
Indeed, I think it would be well
If Turncocks were not quite so swell.
A plain cloth cap at eighteenpence
Would save the city some expense-
And I, who only wear a pot,
Would be contented with my lot.

[*I hope your Papa is not a Turncock]

The Poet

The poet is poor, as a rule,
And frequently suffers from hunger.
If you feel you could write sweet poems all night,
I think it's a sign
That you ought to confine
Your attention to some-
Thing great and become--
Well, say, a Fishmonger.

The Plumber

Oh, Mister Plumber, do you know
Where naughty, careless, tradesman go?

You come to set the water right--
To make the taps all safe and tight.

You came to us at half-past nine;
At two you went away to dine.

You came again just after three;
At five you toddled home for tea.

You did some work, I must confess:
Our house was in a dreadful mess.

You sent us in your little bill--
Although the taps are leaking still.

Oh, Mister Plumber, do you know
Where naughty, careless tradesmen go?

Artists

There are two kinds of Artists,
And each has got an aim:
The one he paints for pennies,
The other -- does the same.

Jack of All Trades - Frontispiece

---

All of the images here have been auto-colour balanced (something I don't usually do). That made quite a significant change to the appearance of the illustrations and, needless to say, I - and a few others I showed - believe it was for the better. The lithographs have been cropped from the full page layout and I'll add the original double page poem-and-illustration scans to flickr (and put a [the] link [is now] ::HERE::) in a day or so.

---

Categorised as juvenile fiction, 'Jack of all Trades', by JJ Bell & Chas Robinson, was published by John Lane in London in 1900. The sixty four page book, with oatmeal cover^, contains some thirty lithographs, most bi-tonal. In passing, I noted a copy (2nd Ed.) sold for £450 a few years ago, so it has some traction in the market place.

Chas (Charles) Robinson (1870-1937) was the elder brother of illustrator, W Heath Robinson, famous for his elaborate and wacky machine cartoons*. Chas attended Highbury School of Art and also apprenticed as a printer. He left a solid and versatile body of work from his forty-odd year career (see: Books + Writers list & Wikipedia).

Journalist and author, JJ (John Joy) Bell (1871-1834), was best known for his Wee MacGreegor series [PGA], a collection of humorous observations of Glasgow life that began as periodic newspaper articles. The appeal wasn't sustained. "His tendency to depict winsome characters and sentimental plot lines was [..] out of step with the darker realism of the inter-war "Glasgow School" of writing. However, Bell's nostalgic but wryly-humorous autobiographical work of the early 1930s restored his popularity." [see: The Glasgow Story: 1 & 2]

The book images appear here thanks to Shelly Cohen and Tanya Schramm. (Shelly kindly made contact and scanned the book and Tanya has owned the book all her life) THANK YOU!