An English and Japanese and Japanese and English Vocabulary. Compiled from native works. by Walter Henry Medhurst
The first English-Japanese and Japanese-English dictionary ever published. Extremely rare as the lithographic process used often failed due to the climate and having been produced by a self-taught artist as mentioned in the preface. Only rarely appears on the market. This copy belonged to an Arthur Paget who had it bound in Hong Kong in 1860. Bound in later half calf over marbled boards. All edges marbled too. Provenance: from the collection of Mary Eccles (Hyde) who was an honorary member of the Grolier Club and member of the Roxburghe Club until her death in 2003. The book is to be sold with a manuscript volume of letters of George Folsom's despatches to the US government from 1850-53 where he mentions (in July 1852) sending a copy of Medhurst's book for the use of Perry with his then upcoming voyage to Japan. Folsom (1802-69) was the US Chargé d'affaires to the Netherlands based in The Hague and the letters were copied by hand by his staff. He writes that Medhurst's book is 'a very rare book, not printed in the usual way, but lithographed.' Later (in March 1853) he writes that he is worried that the book may have gone missing and, '...as the work is one of great rarity and as well as value, I regret very much it was not received, and shall be obliged if you will have it looked up, and if found, preserved in the library of the Department....'
Batavia, printed by lithography. 1830.
viii, [2], 344pp. 22.2 x 14.2cm.
In very good condition. Only minor wear. Housed in a quarter red morocco clamshell box.
b31040322
