ELWES (Robert).
W.S.W. A voyage in that direction to the West Indies.
Best known for his 1853 work, A Sketcher’s Tour Round the World, Elwes was part of the great generation of nineteenth-century artists and travellers. He produced this uncommon work having returned from a second trip, which included stops at Panama, Jamaica, Dominica and Trinidad.
He states his objectives for this work clearly in the preface: “People usually profess to have a dislike to Guide-books, but in many countries I have often found a want of them; and unless a traveller “reads up” a country before he goes there, he must often be liable to pass by objects worthy of notice without knowing it until afterwards.” His narrative is relaxed and amusing. The plates include depictions of St. Thomas, Panama, St. Christopher’s, Chaguaramas Bay in Trinidad. As per his previous publication, Elwes wrote the text, drew and then lithographed the illustrations himself.
Howgego I, E11; Sabin, 22372.
