1784 Capt Cook Original Antique Print 1st Edition, Tahitian Dancing Girl in 1777

Cartographer : Captain James Cook

Description:
This fine original copper-plate engraved antique print of a young Woman dancing on the Island of Tahiti, visited by Capt James Cook in 1777 during his 3rd and last Voyage of Discovery, was engraved by John Keyes Sherwin, after a painting by Cooks onboard artist John Webber, and was published in the 1784 1st offical edition of Capt. James Cook & Capt. James King A Voyage to the Pacific Ocean. Undertaken, by the Command of his Majesty, for making Discoveries in the Northern Hemisphere. To determine The Position and Extent of the West Side of North America; its Distance from Asia; and the Practicability of a Northen Passage to Europe. Performed under the direction of Captains Cook, Clerke, and Gore, In His Majestys Ships the Resolution and Discovery. In the Years 1776, 1777, 1778, 1779, and 1780. London 1784.

............Cook and his crew were treated to dancing, singing and music. Much attention has been paid to the costume, which William Anderson noted was “truly picturesque and elegant”. The long skirt is finished with a great tapa ruff attached at the back and balls of feathers cover the breast. The head-dress of plaited hair is adorned with Cape jasmin.............

General Definitions:
Paper thickness and quality: - Heavy and stable
Paper color : - off white
Age of map color: -
Colors used: -
General color appearance: -
Paper size: - 11in x 9in (280mm x 230mm)
Plate size: - 11in x 9in (280mm x 230mm)
Margins: - Min 1/2in (12mm)

Imperfections:
Margins: - None
Plate area: - None
Verso: - None

Background: 
Captain James King FRS 1750 – 1784 was an officer of the Royal Navy. He served under James Cook on his last voyage around the world, specialising in taking important astronomical readings using a sextant. After Cook died he helped lead the ships on the remainder of their course, also completing Cooks account of the voyage. He continued his career in the Navy, reaching the rank of post-captain, commanding several ships and serving in the American War of Independence.
King joined HMS Resolution as second lieutenant, sharing the duties of astronomer with Cook, taking astronomical observations on board by sextant and with Larcum Kendals timekeeper K1, to establish the Resolutions position at sea and on shore by sextant or by astronomical quadrant to establish the geographical position of salient points during the course of Cooks surveys. Thus Kings geographical positions were an important contribution to the accuracy of the various surveys carried out during the voyage and his use of the early chronometers helped prove their use at sea for calculation of Longitude. .
Following the death of Cook, King remained in the Resolution but on the death of Charles Clerke, Cooks successor, King was appointed to command HMS Discovery, the Resolution\\\'s consort, remaining in her for the rest of the voyage. After his return to England King was very much involved in the publication of the official account of Cooks third voyage, writing the third volume at Woodstock, near Oxford, where his brother Thomas was rector of St Mary Magdalene. But shortly after his return King was promoted Post-captain and appointed commander of HMS Crocodile in the English Channel.

John Webber was born in London, of Swiss descent. In the spring of 1776 he showed three works at the Royal Academy\'s annual exhibition, where they attracted the attention of Dr Daniel Solander, President of the Royal Society and a friend and colleague of botanist Joseph Banks. Both had sailed with Captain James Cook on his first voyage of exploration in the Pacific aboard the \'Endeavour\', and were looking for a suitable artist to accompany them on a third trip. Solander recommended Webber to the Admiralty, and he was appointed almost immediately.
The voyage commenced on 12 July 1776. Upon his return to London in 1780, Webber submitted about 200 finished works to the Admiralty, which he had made on the voyage. From autumn 1780 until summer 1784, he re-drew many of the drawings and supervised the engravers and printers who were preparing the images for publication, under the direction of Lord Sandwich.

John Keyse Sherwin 1751 – 1790 was an English engraver and history-painter.

$650.00