[Collection of five original drawings from "In Darkest Africa"]

1890. STANLEY, Henry M.; RIOU, Edouard. association]. RIOU, Edouard [artist]. [Collection of five original pencil, pen and ink and gray wash drawings on tinted paper or wooden blocks, from In Darkest Africa]. [N.p.: n.d., circa1890].

Each drawing measures 6 3/8 x 4 1/8 inches; 162 x 105mm. Each is either drawn on a wooden block or the paper is mounted on a wooden block, glazed and held together with black tape. The blocks measure 7 3/8 x 5 1/16 inches; 187 x 129 mm. The original drawings by Riou for plates in Stanley's account of the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition, In Darkest Africa, published in 1890.

The drawings are done with incredible skill and detail, with the images finer and more clear than the reproduced plates that appear in the published book. They include: A Phalanx Dance by Mazamboni's Warriors; Our First Experiences With Mazanbori's People: View From Nzera Kum Hill; The Scouts Discover The Pigmies Carrying Away The Case Of Ammunition; Baby Rhinoceros Showing Fight In Camp; and Our Experiences In Usukuma. All signed 'Riou'.

Housed in a full morocco clamshell case. Case spine lettered in gilt. Case with respective prints of the drawings, chemised and housed with the blocks. The block of Scouts Discover The Pigmies Carrying Away The Case Of Ammunition, with glazing separated from print. Overall an excellent collection.

Provenance: The Henry Morton Stanley Collection, Christie's, 24 Sept. 2002, lot 87.

Edouard Riou, French illustrator (1838-1900). Daubingny's and Gustav Dore's pupil, Riou was a very prolific illustrator. He was born in Saint-Servan in 1838. After exhibiting in the 1859 Fair, he began to illustrate travel books. In 1866 he was sent to Italy by Le Monde Illustré, which published his news drawings. In 1869 he was sent to Egypt and later to Russia. He was given the "Légion d'honeur" by many editors. He published numerous illustrations in Tour du Monde, l'Illustration and Le Monde Illustré, together with some books written by Jules Verne and Erckmann-Chatrian.

Works illustrated by Edouard Riou include: Alexandre Dumas, Le Comte de Monte-Christo, J. Rouff, 1887; Walter Scott, Ivanhoé, 1880; Jules Verne, Cinq semaines en ballon, Hetzel, 1863; Jules Verne, Voyage au centre de la terre, Hetzel, 1867; Jules Verne, Voyage de la terre à la lune, Hetzel, 1867.

HBS 65227.

$12,500.