Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes by Robert Louis Stevenson, Illustrated by Roger Duvoisin, Artist Signed Limited Edition, 1957

Stevenson, Robert Louis. Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes. New York: The Limited Editions Club, 1957. Limited edition, numbered 763/1500. Signed and illustrated by Roger Duvoisin. In original basketweave cloth boards, with front inlay and paper spine label, top edge green, original green board slipcase, and new archival ¼ leather and cloth clamshell case. 

Presented is the Limited Editions Club 1957 edition of Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes by Robert Louis Stevenson. This edition is numbered 763 of 1500 copies and signed by illustrator Roger Duvoisin. The book is artfully illustrated with lithographs printed by the Plantin Press, with hand-stenciled coloring done in the studio of Walter Fisher. The book is presented in its original basketweave cloth boards, with an illustration by Duvoisin inset at the bottom left corner of the front board, and paper spine label. Enclosed in the original green board slipcase, the book is further protected with a new archival ¼ leather and cloth clamshell. 

First published in 1879, Travels with a Donkey in the Cévennes is one of Robert Louis Stevenson's earliest published works and a pioneering piece of travel literature. It recounts the author’s twelve-day, 120-mile solo journey through the rugged Cévennes mountains in south-central France. Accompanied only by a donkey named Modestine, Stevenson sets out to explore a remote region of France. He chronicles his adventures and misadventures, and reflects on larger themes of solitude, French culture, and religion. 

The narrative is rich with Stevenson’s trademark wit, dry humor, and keen observations. His struggles with, and eventual attachment to, the donkey Modestine bring both levity and emotional depth to the account. Stevenson also vividly captures the natural beauty of the region, while offering commentary on French rural life, religion, and local politics. His affection for the people he meets shines through in warm and nuanced portraits of those who inhabit this harsh, remote, but beautiful land. 

As one of the first works to present hiking and camping as recreational pastimes, Travels with a Donkey holds a special place in the history of travel writing. Stevenson’s writing has earned the book lasting acclaim; it is frequently cited among the greatest nonfiction travelogs and is listed as #57 in The Guardian's “100 Best Nonfiction Books” list. “Stevenson’s travel writing, a small part of his nonfiction output, is as outstanding and influential as his fiction… [F]rom a short list, Travels With a Donkey in the Cévennes remains Stevenson’s masterpiece, a “little book” that describes a wayward, inconsequential journey and a strange love affair (with a donkey) in which, as in all the best journeys, the author finds himself renewed, refreshed and, returning from his travels, once more ready for the fray.”(Robert Crum, The Guardian, 2017). 

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850–1894) spent his childhood in Edinburgh, Scotland, but traveled widely in the United States, Europe, and throughout the South Seas. He was author of many novels, including The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Kidnapped, The Black Arrow, and Treasure Island.

Roger Duvoisin (1900- 1980) was born in Switzerland, graduated from the École des Arts et Métiers and the École des Beaux-Arts. In the late 1920s, he immigrated to the United States, where he soon began writing and illustrating children’s books. The author of more than forty of his own books, Duvoisin also collaborated with many writers, including his wife, Louise Fatio Duvoisin, and Alvin Tresselt. He won the 1948 Caldecott Medal for illustrating White Snow, Bright Snow, and was awarded a Caldecott Honor Award for Hide and Seek Fog in 1966.

CONDITION:

Good condition overall. In original basketweave cloth boards, with bottom front inlay and paper spine label. Very light toning to cloth boards, wear and rubbing to the paper spine label. In the original green board slipcase, with surface wear, bumping at corners. Slipcase with paper label on spine, still attached but with wear and fading. Top edge green.  Clean pages, without toning or fading. Limited edition, numbered 763/1500 on the limitation page. Signed by illustrator Roger Duvoisin. Illustrated profusely, with lithographs, hand-colored via stencil. 

Presented with a new archival ¼ green leather and cloth clamshell case. Inlay on the front of the clamshell case. Raised bands, gilt titles, and tooling on the spine.

Book Dimensions: 10 1/16" H x 6 13/16" W x 1" D. Original Slipcase Dimensions: 10 1/2" H x 7" W x 1 1/4" D. Clamshell Dimensions: 11 3/4" H x 8 1/16" W x 1 7/8" D. 

Accompanied by our company's letter of authenticity. Excluded from promotional sales.