Narrative of the Expedition – Perry – 1857 | Japan Voyages & Maps

The events of this expedition were recorded by Perry and Francis Hawks in the 1856 account Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan.

Matthew Perry was one of the most important American Naval officers during the 19th-century. While he was notable for his involvement in the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, his most famous accomplishment came as the leader of a voyage to Japan beginning in 1852 aboard the East India Squadron. This series of short visits sought to pursue Japanese trade treaties, but Perry and his crew discovered much more – Japanese and Chinese cultures, politics, coal mining and agriculture, as well as attempts at occupation of Formosa. While many events came from this expedition, according to Hill,

“the most important result was that the visit contributed to the collapse of the feudal regime and to the modernization of Japan”

This 1857 edition includes reports of Perry’s topographical discoveries, as well as scientific and astrological studies. This volume was the first of three original volumes and features incredible illustrations throughout – including the highly controversial bathhouse scene with men and women both in a state of undress.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Narrative of the Expedition of an American Squadron to the China Seas and Japan, Performed in the Years 1852, 1853, and 1854, under the Command of Commodore M.C. Perry
• Author(s): Matthew Calbraith Perry; Francis Hawks
• Publisher: Washington: A.O.P. Nicholson, printer
• Edition: 1857 edition
• Format: (4to), single volume
• Binding: original leather
• Size:  12in x 10in (30.5cm x 25cm)
• Collation: xvii, [1], 537
• Illustrations: 89 lithographic plates, 78 in-text woodcuts, 2 folding maps
• Contents Include:
  • Official logs and geographical surveys
  • Reports on Japan, China, and Formosa
  • Accounts of resource extraction and trade locations
  • Documented illustrations including social and architectural features
  • Includes the highly coveted ‘nude bathing scene’ engraving
• Reference(s): Sabin 30968; Wenckstern I, 620; Hill 1332

Condition:

Very Good. Text block intact and all plates present. Pages clean. Leather binding strong with minimal rubbing.

Why Collect This?

• First volume from the 1856 congressional set
• Includes early documentation of U.S.–Japan contact
• Contains original lithographs specific to Perry’s mission

Item Number: #29142