Asiatic Museum Illustrated. Part 1. (= all published). Comprising Figures of all the Models that were presented to the Museum by Miss Tytler. by Savignhac, Phillipe de and G. Pearson - 1828: Making a total of Eighty-three to which is added A Portrait of Sir W. Jones, Founder of the Asiatic Society & View of the Society’s Appartments in Chowringhee by Messrs Savignhac and Pearson

Lithogr. ornate title- and index-leaves, 25 Roman numbered chalk-lithographed plates mostly accompanied by tissue guards, including portrait frontispiece and view of the musem building on mounted India paper. Publisher's drab boards with illustrated chalk-lithographed label (120 x 110 mm) on front board. Oblong folio (265 x 360 mm). Spine covering renewed. Covers spotted, front cover with round black spot in lower outer margin, extremties worn.

First and only very rare edition. The museological importance of this scarce lithographically illustrated portfolio is described in "The Indian Museum", 1814-1914: "Unfortunately, as is so often the case in old museum collections, a large proportion of the oldest specimens have lost their value owing to the fact that they were not properly labelled at the time they were received, or that the labels have since been lost. An interesting little book or rather portfolio of lithographs published in 1828 enables us, however, to trace some specimens." Lithography was introduced to India from France by Philippe de Savignhac. The Asiatic Lithographic Company's Press was established in 1823 and regarded as the first commercially viable press in India. It was the premier lithographic press in Calcutta during the 1820's and responsible for a number of "lithographic firsts" in India. - Graham Shaw. Calcutta, Birthplace of the Indian Lithographed Book ; pp. 159-182. In: Francesca Orsini. The History of the Book in South Asia (2013). A number of plates with foxing, a remarkable survivor in its original publishing state.