Early 1833 South African Printed Almanac by George Grieg, including five early Lithographs of Cape Town by H.C. de Meillon. Not on OCLC.

Early 1833 South African Printed Almanac by George Grieg, including five early Lithographs of Cape Town by H.C. de Meillon. Not on OCLC.

"The South African Almanac and Directory for the year 1833"

"Cape Town: Printed and Published by the Proprietor George Greig, Keizersgracht"

-Octavo, bound in original blue wrappers

-Title-page with the contemporary embossed Cape of Good Hope sixpence revenue stamp

-Complete: xviii, 5 lithographed plates of Cape Town, TP, Preface, lxxxiii (including one coloured plate of "Flags used by vessels of the Port of Liverpool" and one plate of "Colonial Semaphore Telegraph"); 13-292

-5 lithographed plates by H.C de Meillon depict:

-Occasional light foxing (esp pp13-40). Corners bumped and creased, minor cracks to spine. Minor losses to top right corner, but overall very good.

-Without the separate map, sometimes described with this Almanac - although printed searately.

This is an early South African Alamanc, printed in Cape Town by George Grieg. Like many colonial almanacs of the day, the work gives extensive descriptions of daily life in Cape Town and describes important figures and administrators. The text includes instructions on the agricultural calendar, descriptions of surrounding settlements including Stellenbosch, and a depiction of semaphore signals. 

The work is also interesting for the opening 18 pages of advertisements including for insurance, hear dressers, a stone mason from Robben Island, and a barrel maker (cooper).

Particularly important in this work are the five rare locally produced lithographs of Cape Town, after H.C. de Meillon. These depict "Cape Town and Table Mountain", "Government House Cape Town", "The Government Buildings from the Company's Gardens", "Front of the South African College, Cape Town" & "Wesleyan Chapel, Cape Town".

This almanac is uncommon with no copies on OCLC (Worldcat) and copies only recorded at the National Library of South Africa and in Minnesota (without wrappers or lithographs)