Featured 1910 Guide To Pompei book,Signed A. Sogliano+ Old Photo

Got this book out od a storage I bought."Guide To Pompei",the inside has "Every copy must bear the name of the author",the name signed is A. Sogliano.There are illustrations folded like mapes inse book.Dated 1910.I can't find anything on this book.Any idea about this book.Is it a rare book? Also there was a picture inside,I have no idea what it is,any idea on picture also?

 

It appears to be scarce but that doesn't necessarily equate to valuable. Here's one on offer on abebooks.com.

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=17145163766&cm_sp=Searchmod-_-NullResults-_-BDP

Debora

 

Since this is a guide for tourists, the picture is probably a snap shot of a group traveling together when they were on the ship Assyria. A memento of the trip.

 

most probably not a simple guide. rather the final report of Antonio Sogliano about his work in Pompeii as Ispettore degli scavi di Pompei from 1905 to 1910.
as there were minor and major scandals during the newer excavations since the 1850s and as these positions were always partly assigned due to political fights - till today ! - this book was not for the public but only available to the important people; therefore signed and eventually discreetly numbered somewhere .

 

Thanks so much!! I couldn't find much,but you have great information!!!

 

Italian is a lovely language and there was also an early edition in French. which shows the importance of English for educated topics on the continent...
the French were leading in classical archeology also in the Holy Land and always had and still have good relations to their Italian colleagues.
it's good though that the Germans with Schliemann and others tried to overtake the French. a bit of competition doesn't do any bad as long as it isn't abused for political ends.

 

The wording of the 'Notice' at the beginning makes me think the book was intended for a wider readership, for people 'passing through the desolate streets of the Dead City'.

 

Yes, I agree. An early guide.

Debora

 

typical edition for university libraries. low numbers printed. still made like that today, but rather in literature with commented editions (see Nietzsche, Hölderlin etc.) and therefore expensive at the day.
no mass tourism. not a guide for the wide public that couldn't afford a journey to Europe anyway.
'passing through the desolate streets of the Dead City' may be the liberty of the translator and sounds a bit old-fashioned today; furthermore just a thought : what is cleared first to get access ? after every hurricane ???
tourism was limited to the rich up to the filthy rich that certainly had competent local guides to show them around.
the map shows the different zones of excavation - or for the Americans - the claims for differing archeology groups.

 

That's probably what it is. From the way the caption on the side is printed, it appears that either there was a photographer on board who had a sort of template that said it, or somebody took the negative later to a photographer who knew how to print it up. The printing is rather crude, but legible.

 

Cook's Tours was taking the bourgeoisie to Europe before the publication of this monograph. The frescoes of Pompeii & Herculaneum provided many subjects for the cameos tourists bought from Neapolitan cutters when visiting the ruins.

 

I just ordered The Grand Tour by TASCHEN. a nice heavy brick. xmas time most boring for me, so I already bought books you don't see me in the heap...

 

I know the illustrations will be beautiful. Let us know how author(s) define Grand Tour. Although it is widely used for any tour of Europe made by Brits or Americans, my understanding is that its proper use is for the last step in the education of a well to do young man, who would be taken by his tutor to see the famous sights. A Georgian practice more than Victorian.

 

I don't think I'll ever be able to think in the English manner of eras by Kings.
but I'm rather sure that the Grand Tour wasn't for cultural education only for these young lads.

 

Bronwen is (as usual) right.

From the dictionary: "a cultural tour of Europe formerly undertaken, especially in the 18th century, by a young man of the upper classes as a part of his education."

Of course, the meaning has evolved somewhat to include European trips taken by well-heeled Americans in the 19th century.

Debora

 

I am sure you're quite right.