Suriname, Paramaribo Stedman, 1798, Vue de la Rade et de la Ville de Paramaribo

Rare panoramic view of the city of Paramaribo in Suriname with multiple ships on the foreground. A small part of the image (around 7cm) on the right is missing, new margin with antique paper on that side. Otherwise a good and very decorative copy.

The engraving was made by Tardieu (signed) and published in 1798 in a French edition of J.G. Stedman's famous book on Suriname.

John Gabriel Stedman (Dendermonde, 1744 – Devonshire, 5 March 1797) was a Scots-Dutch officer in the Scots Brigade of the Dutch army. He helped suppress a slave revolt in Suriname. He fell in love with a slave woman and attempted to ransom her. He wrote about his experiences in the influential book "Reize naar Surinamen en door de binnenste deelen van Guiana" (Real Journeys to Suriname and Through the Innermost Parts of Guiana). In it, he openly addressed the rights of slaves, particularly the question of whether they should be treated as human beings. His account of the murder of a mulatto girl evolved over time into a legend about the slave Alida.

Reasonable condition. Folds as published. Some light age browning in the margins.A small part of the image (around 7cm) on the right is missing, new margin with antique paper on that side. Otherwise a good and very decorative copy.

Image 18x35cm, page 29x39,5cm