Sinai and Petra by Emily Hornby first edition 1907

HORNBY, E [Emily] – Sinai and Petra
 
London: James Nisbet & Liverpool: J.A. Thompson & Co. [1907]
 
8vo; in the original publisher’s olive green cloth boards, with gilt lettering to the front board and spine; [ii], [7] 8-244; 10 colour plates including the frontispiece of Frances Hornby’s watercolours; an excellent copy with very little wear to speak of, toning to the spine and some light rubbing with fraying to the spine ends, a couple of end papers are browned; overall near fine.
 
A first UK edition and scarce to find in the original publisher’s cloth in this condition.
 
Emily Hornby along with her sisters Frances and Mary travelled across the middle east during 1899 and 1901. It was an extraordinary feat for them to travel across such a vast expanse. They stayed in makeshift tents and travelled slowly through Sinai in Egypt, the Panama Canal and then through Gaza and the Rose City, Petra in Jordan. 
 
The beautiful watercolours that are placed throughout the book are sometimes misattributed to a husband, but this was not the case. The book, published a year after Emily’s death, was a joint enterprise between the three intrepid sisters: Emily wrote the journals, Frances painted the watercolours and Mary edited the book. The finished product is a marvel, documenting the adventures that the trio got up to.