Wyse, Sir Thomas.

first edition, 8vo (252 x 158mm.), half-titles, etched frontispiece in each volume, double-page map, and 22 plates (including 2 folding panoramas) after Wyse or V. Lanza, letter of presentation from J.H. Hill to General Meredith Read bound before half-title (see footnote), original crimson cloth, plate 9 (vol 1.) with repaired marginal tear, spines slightly sunned, minor repairs and wear

J.H. Hill, signature; letter of presentation from Hill to General John Meredith Read (1837-1896), armorial bookplate (his arms incorporating the Hellenic Order of the Redeemer)

Blackmer 1847; Contominos 819; Weber I, 646

Condition is described in the main body of the cataloguing, where appropriate.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

Sir Thomas Wyse (1791-1862) was appointed to the embassy in Athens in 1849. In order to assist Russia when the Crimean War loomed, Greece had invaded Turkey, but Wyse proposed an Anglo-French occupation of Piraeus and he and the French envoy exercised considerable powers in Greece until the return of peace.

In 1857 Wyse suggested that a commission be formed to investigate the financial resources of Greece, since a loan by England, France and Russia remained outstanding from the time of independence. This entailed much travelling for Wyse and he made numerous reports on the economic and social conditions that he saw. His niece, who had accompanied him, edited this work.

from the library of the american general john meredith read (1837-1896), who was appointed the first American resident minister to Greece in 1873. Read was acclaimed in Greece and America for his skilful diplomacy, but funding in the 1870s decreased and the legation was cut off completely in 1878. As the Greek crisis with Turkey was at its height, Read, with the backing of the State Department, the Greek Prime Minister and King George I of Greece, declined to close the mission and remained in Greece at his own expense until 1880, at which time he retired. In 1881, King George made him a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Redeemer, the highest award the Greek government could bestow. He was also a member and later President of the Archaeological Society of Athens. The Read family was prominent in American political life and General Read's great-grandfather George Read signed the Declaration of Independence and shaped the American Constitution.