1895 Percival Lowell-NOTO/Japan Travel/Astronomer/Mars/History/Free Shipping

Pricing & History

Sold for
Start Free Trial or Sign In to see what it's worth.
Sold Date
Source eBay

A BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN DESCRIPTION OF A BOSTON BRAHMIN'S TRAVELS IN JAPAN NOTO By Percival Lowell 1895 American Edition; written by a noted astronomer who popularized the idea of Mars' canals. Description: Percival Lowell NOTO: An Unexplored Corner of Japan. Boston and New York: Houghton, Mifflin and Company, 1895, 5 x 7 in., 261 pp. . not illustrated. Condition: Hardbound in original black binding with lotus design on cover; Former owner's name in ink on flyleaf. Light foxing on endpapers and title page. Otherwise clean, securely bound, and unmarked throughout. Overall VG condition. (see photos). Information: A lovely popular book by a wealthy Bostonian with a love of Japanese culture who wrote several books on Japan in the late 1800s, and who later became a noted astronomer and champion of the idea that Mars was inhabited. An online commentator (William Sheehan) describes this book thus: Perhaps Lowell's most charming book is "Noto," which begins charmingly: "The fancy took me to go to Noto." Lowell saw in Noto the chance to experience an older, thoroughly Medieval and unchanged Japan. The peninsula was reached via Yokohama, the port by means of which French, American, and Mexican parties had landed to observe the transit of Venus in 1874, and from which Isabella Bird, who traveled the world despite ill-health, had arrived in 18 78. Though the book is written not without the condescension of Lowell's upper-class personality -- it includes constant references to the inefficiencies of his porters and other toadies -- it is charmingly descriptive of a perhaps now vanished but distinctive and beautiful part of the world. Not an attempt to analyze the Japanese personality, like "The Soul of the Far East," or to subject to the skepticism of science the Shinto trances of Ontaké, like "Occult Japan," Lowell records his vivid encounters with landscapes and people recollected in the tranquility of his still-lovely prose. An excellent addition to any library on Japan, 19th century travel writing, or the works of Percival Lowell.Biographical Note: Percival Lawrence Lowell (1855 -- 1916) was an American businessman, author, mathematician, and astronomer who fueled speculation that there were canals on Mars. He founded the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and formed the beginning of the effort that led to the discovery of Pluto 14 years after his death.In the 1880s, Lowell traveled extensively in the Far East. In August 1883, he served as a foreign secretary and counselor for a special Korean diplomatic mission to the United States. He lived in Korea for about two months.He also spent significant periods of time in Japan, writing books on Japanese religion, psychology, and behavior. His texts are filled with observations and academic discussions of various aspects of Japanese life, including language, religious practices, economics, travel in Japan, and the development of personality. Books by Lowell on the Orient include Noto: An Unexplored Corner of Japan (1891) and Occult Japan, or the Way of the Gods (1894), the latter from his third and final trip to the region. His time in Korea inspired Chosön: The Land of the Morning Calm(1886, Boston). The most popular of Lowell's books on the Orient, The Soul of the Far East (1888), contains an early synthesis of some of his ideas that, in essence, postulated that human progress is a function of the qualities of individuality and imagination.VISIT MY EBAY STORE FOR OTHER ITEMS OF INTEREST(Click This Link)Please inquire about discounts for purchases of multiple items.Shipping: Free media rate shipping in US. Higher international postage as appropriate (See the Shipping and Payment tab on this listing for an estimate and contact us before bidding if you have questions). We make every attempt to describe items clearly and completely. Please read our listings carefully, inspect posted images of the item, and let us know if you have any questions before you bid. All buyers must pay according to Ebay policies. If you have any questions about this, please email me. Internat... read more

Items in the Price Guide are obtained exclusively from licensors and partners solely for our members’ research needs.

Flag item for content or copyright

If this item contains incorrect or inappropriate information please contact us here to flag it for review.

If you are the originator/copyright holder of this photo/item and would prefer it be excluded from our community, contact us here for removal.