Beschreibung:

The Ruins of Balbec, otherwise Heliopolis in Coelosyria. London: [for the author], 1757. Folio (540 x 364 mm). [2], 28 pp. With 46 plates (several folded). Contemporary calf with corner repairs, rebacked decorative gilt and title on spine. Minor browning and some foxing throughout. FIRST EDITION OF THIS IMPORTANT ARCHITECTURAL SOURCE. Sequel to the well-received Ruins of Palmyra, presenting a study of Balbec's architectural ruins through an extensive series of plates, which Wood believed communicated the grandeur of the ancient city. Located in modern-day Lebanon, Balbec was once the Roman colony Heliopolis. Wood begins his narrative as the group leaves Palmyra in November of 1751, wary of kidnapping and on the lookout for bands of Arabian horsemen. He instructs the reader on everything from local politics to Roman history, and even the fading beauty of Blabec's prostitutes. With Wood's publications "Britain was firmly placed in the forefront of archaeological studies" (Harris British Architectural Books and Writers 936). Blackmer 1835.