Charles Joseph Panckoucke original contracts and costings for the first edition, in French, of the official account of Captain James Cook’s second voyage

Six original documents housed in a modern wrapper and slipcase in the style of an 18th-century French marbled calf chemise, embossed in gold with the words 'Actes originaux: Traduction française des voyages de Cook':
1. Deed for the translation, signed by Charles Joseph Panckoucke and Jean-Nicolas Démeunier, Paris, 11 June 1777, 4 pages (octavo size). Démeunier is given four months to complete the translation for a sum of 3000 pounds, with the instruction for his work to be “as faithful and as exact as possible”. He is also to translate the Voyage of Doctor Forster [Georg Forster] for 1200 pounds. M. de Fréville will assist him with the translation of no more than 20 pages. 
2. Addition to the above deed, signed by Panckoucke and Démeunier, Paris, 14 July 1777, 1 page (octavo size). Panckoucke undertakes to increase Démeunier's payment to 2700 pounds for the translation of Doctor Forster's Voyage, because the work is much more substantial than had been expected.
3. Deed for the engravings signed by Charles Joseph Panckoucke and Robert Bénard, Paris, 14 June 1777, 1.5 pages (quarto size). Bénard is contracted to produce engravings of 64 plates, to be derived from those prepared for the English edition (mostly after original work by the voyage artist William Hodges) by the end of November 1777, with 2250 prints to be made from each plate. For this work, he will be paid 11,748 pounds.
4. Budget for the engravings, 2 pages (quarto size). A detailed budget outlines the costs for printing of the illustrations for a print run of 2250 copies. The breakdown of costs shows 25,728 pounds to produce the plates, 9,186 pounds for their printing and 4,793 pounds for the paper. The illustration of the French edition of Cook’s Second Voyage thus cost Panckoucke a total of 39,708 pounds.
5. List of Banks quarto Plates, 1 page (octavo size). This refers to Pancoucke's edition of Cook's first voyage.
6. Summary note of the total charges, 1 page (duodecimo size).

Charles Joseph Panckoucke original contracts and costings for the first edition, in French, of the o...

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