SZAFER, Władysław - At the Threshold of the Sahara: Impressions from a Trip to Tunisia in the Spring of 1924 [1925] [AUTOGRAPH AND DEDICATION TO JÓZEF ROSTAFIŃSKI]

Cieszyn, 1925. Published by the “Kresy” bookstore. 14.5 x 23 cm, 181 pages, black-and-white photographs on separate sheets, cloth-bound edition. Good condition (scuffs on the binding, a few minor stains, a stain on the back of the binding).

An account by Władysław Szafer (1886–1970), an eminent botanist, professor, and rector of Jagiellonian University, a pioneer of nature conservation in Poland, and a co-founder of Poland’s national parks, from his journey through Tunisia in the spring of 1924. The author describes, among other places, Tunis, Carthage, the Atlas Mountains, Kairouan, oases, the salt lake Chott el Djerid, the sands of the Sahara, and a caravan expedition to Matmata, devoting considerable attention to the local flora, landscape, and inhabitants.

This piece is autographed and inscribed by the author to Józef Rostafiński ( 1850–1928), a botanist, professor at Jagiellonian University, long-time director of the Kraków Botanical Garden, and member of the Polish Academy of Arts and Sciences. He was one of the pioneers of Polish floristics, conducted research on plant systematics, and also studied the history of botany and the natural sciences. He was the author of numerous scientific and popular science works, including the frequently reprinted *Guide to the Identification of Wild Plants in Poland*.