Jules Verne / MM. Riou et De Montaut - Cinq semaines en ballon. Voyage de découvertes en Afrique par trois Anglais - 1900

Rare and beautiful illustrated edition in its superb polychrome binding known as "Aux feuilles d'acanthe" of this first great Jules Verne novel in the Extraordinary Voyages series, illustrated by Henri de Montaut and Édouard Riou -

The work recounts the fictional expedition of Doctor Fergusson, accompanied by his companions Kennedy and Joe, who undertake to cross Africa by balloon in order to explore regions still unknown to Europeans -

The tale blends adventure, science, and geography, inaugurating Verne's formula that links scientific popularization with romance -

Riou and Montaut's illustrations play an essential role: they bring to life the African landscapes, the scenes of exploration and the aerial adventures, reinforcing the spectacular and educational dimension of the text -

This volume thus marks the starting point of the immense cycle of the Extraordinary Voyages, laying the foundations of the scientific and geographical imagination that characterizes Verne's work -

Jules Verne / MR. Riou and De Montaut - Five Weeks in a Balloon. Voyage of Discovery in Africa by three Englishmen - SD (Circa 1900) - Hetzel Collection -
354 Pages.

Good binding condition, the work in its superb polychrome binding known as "Aux feuilles d'acanthe", signs of wear from use, turned corners on the headbands, worn corners and hinges, cover rubbed in places, headsides gilt-edged, smooth spine adorned, title and author's name gilded, superb color illustrations on the first cover -

Good interior condition, browning, one detached page, handwritten pencil notes on the flyleaf, a beautiful vignette on the title page, the volume enriched with numerous illustrations both in-text and out-of-text including a frontispiece, handwritten blue keepers/notes in correct condition, a small damp stain in the lower corner of the last pages, a pleasant copy -

Delivery service ensured within a few days –