Highlights include works on India, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Egypt

On 28th February 2013, Sotheby’s London will present for auction a superb private collection of Fine Travel and Plate Books comprising some of the most magnificent illustrated travel books on the grandest scale together with watercolours and manuscripts.

Assembled by a private collector who sought the finest examples of travel and plate books, the collection contains a number of works with notable provenances, including 21 lots from the library of Beriah Botfield’s (Longleat) - one of the greatest book collectors of the 19th century - and 49 from the collection of Şefik Atabey -who formed one of the greatest libraries on the Ottoman Empire.

Richard Fattorini, Director, Specialist Sotheby’s Department of Books and Manuscripts said, “This auction represents a wonderful opportunity to acquire some of the very best books in this field, since collections of this quality so rarely come to the market. Not only are there editions regarded as the most important in their category and media, by the most historically significant artists and writers, but many are also magnificently bound, in superb condition and in many cases have significant provenances.”