Vesuvius Journal — Sir William Hamilton 1779 Campi Phlegraei Peter Fabris Aquatint

In 1776, Sir William Hamilton — British diplomat, antiquarian, and the man who climbed Vesuvius sixty times — published Campi Phlegraei, his systematic documentation of the volcano rendered in aquatints by Peter Fabris with hand-applied watercolour and gouache: the front cover shows the 1779 eruption with serpentine lava flows tracing their descent along the slopes and the incandescent glow of molten rock against the nocturnal sky, while the back shows a companion plate documenting the vertical eruptive column — dark ash clouds contrasting with the luminous core, incandescent rock fragments following parabolic trajectories — together forming a complete portrait of Vesuvius at its most sublime, as observed by the diplomat who invented modern volcanology.

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Product Details

• Format: Hardcover journal with matte laminated full-wrap cover
• Pages: 150 lined pages (75 sheets) with perforations for easy removal
• Binding: Casewrap sewn binding — flexible and lay-flat
• Dimensions: 5.75 × 8 inches
• Weight: 250 g (0.55 lbs)
• Cover: Matte laminated full-wrap print
• Note: small production barcode (0.5" × 0.5") on back cover

Perfect For

• Geologists, volcanologists, and earth science enthusiasts
• Natural history collectors and Enlightenment science admirers
• Grand Tour history lovers and Italian culture aficionados
• Gift for anyone captivated by the history of earth science and scientific illustration
• Students and educators of geology, volcanology, and 18th-century natural philosophy
• Museum lovers and collectors of historic scientific documentation