OSTERVALD (Jean Frédéric d'), Voyage pittoresque de Genève à Milan par le Simplon, Paris: imprimerie de P. Didot l'aîné, 1811. - In-folio, long-grained red morocco, fillets and corner finial framing the boards, large square piece with rounded corners in green morocco in the center of the first board, including the title of the book in gilt capital letters, ornate spine with false nerves, triple gilt fillet inside, gilt edges (period binding). First edition of this handsome work describing the voyage between Lake Geneva and Lake Maggiore, written by Neuchâtel cartographer and politician Jean Frédéric d'Ostervald (1773-1850) from 35 superb colored aquatint plates based on life drawings by Gabriel Ludwig Lory (1763-1840), Gabriel Lory (1784-1846) and Maximilien de Meuron (1785-1868). "The text is packed with details of the history, geography and customs of the regions travelled through. After painting a fascinating portrait of the Valais, "which the most insensitive man to the beauties of nature will certainly not cross [...] without experiencing surprise and deep emotion", the author turns to the new Simplon route. The "narrow, dangerous path, cut almost at random through rocks and wild valleys" has given way to a "road, as plain as a garden path, [...] bending elegantly to follow the undulations and slopes of the mountains". The text is a thinly veiled ode to the man behind the project, Napoleon Bonaparte, and the man who would become its master builder, the engineer Nicolas Céard" (Barthélémy Grass, "Voyage pittoresque", Swiss National Library website). The new Simplon road was intended by Napoleon to strengthen the defense of Northern Italy. It is considered the first motorable road in the Alps. Of the 35 plates, 20 are dedicated to this road. Stains to binding, spine faded, hinges fragile, rubbing to edges, head cover damaged and missing, corners dull. Restorations to second board and hinges. Spotting, mainly at the bottom of the text pages, barely visible on the plates.