A Yankee Engineer Abroad - Part I: Europe (Hardcover)

This book is a transcription of a recently discovered manuscript of a Grand Tour taken by an American engineer, Frederick Hubbard, in the years 1855 through 1857. In Part I (this volume), he begins in England, then travels to Madeira, Gibraltar, Spain, Sicily, Italy, France Belgium, Switzerland, and Malta. The trip to Italy includes an ascent of Vesuvius and a visit to Pompeii and the environs of Naples. The ascent of Mount Etna to witness the glorious sunrise is the zenith of his trip to Sicily. Within this work, the American engineer recorded his opinions concerning the art, religion, architecture, and social behaviour of the various cultures he encountered. The commentary on art and architecture will be found to be quite unorthodox by many. His views predate the popular writings of John Ruskin, who drew attention to the early Renaissance. He eschews the artistic instructions of guide-books. The generous annotation should be an aid to the initiate and an amusement to the adept of the travel-essay genre. Contemporary commercial engravings tipped into the manuscript and sketches by the author illustrate the work. An additional section of selected albumin prints of Rome and Naples has been included.