Three unique Italian East Africa flying maps from the collection of the Duke of Aosta: (1) Amara - Scioa Galla Siama - Harar // (2) Eritrea // (3) Somalia Instituto Geografico Militare (IGM)

A unique set of 3 very large linen-backed composite colour lithographic maps, folding down into matching contemporary gilt-titled heavy blue cloth boards with marbled endpapers. Maps very good, neatly folded, some foxing, with soiling to the blank margin of (1). Boards good, rubbed and worn at the extremities with dusting and marks. Based on the title to one of the sheets (Nacfa), they appear to have been produced by Italy's Instituto Geografico Militare in 1936 as part of its Africa 1/1M series (eg, see OCLC 799861466), though they were prepared in this form by or for the Duke of Aosta with his own titles and "Casa Militare dell'a R. Il Duca D'Aosta" gilt-stamped to each front board. They would likely have helped him to plan his way around his then extensive dominions by air. Each has a typed plate to the front pastedown which states: "These flying maps were the property of the Duke of Aosta, and were recovered [variant on one: "claimed as Military Booty"] from his property in the hands of the C.E.P. Presented to the C. in C., MELF by the C.A., Eritrea, on the occasion of his visit to Asmara 27 July 47". One has a reference label to the front board, possibly CEP's, with ms entries stating they were acquired and kept as a set: "3 in all / SR 1651 / Duke of Aosta". Prince Amedeo, 3rd Duke of Aosta (1898-1942) served in the Italian Army during WW1, left in 1921 to travel in Africa, then joined the Regia Aeronautica as a pilot involved in the "pacification of Libya" in 1932. In 1937 he was appointed Viceroy and Governor-General of Italian East Africa, and Commander-in-Chief of all Italian military forces in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Somaliland. He led the Italian forces in the East African Campaign, and after initial successes in Sudan, Kenya and British Somaliland in 1940, he surrendered to the British counter-offensive in 1941 and died in a POW camp in Nairobi in 1942. The labels indicate that these maps were taken from his residence (in Asmara this was the Villa Roma) by the CEP (Custodian of Enemy Property) before being presented by the C.A. Eritrea (perhaps the British Chief Administrator) to the C. in C. MELF (Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Land Forces), which had been formed out of the Middle East Command during 1946-47. The date of 27 July 1947 coincides with the end of General Sir Miles Dempsey's term as C-in-C (he retired in August 1947) and the start of General Sir John Tredinnick Crocker's during the Palestine Emergency. The maps themselves are necessarily composite, made up of several 1/1M sheets which have been carefully cropped and joined together on linen to display the long aviation routes. This has meant the image sizes are irregular, and most sheet titles, along with the usual marginal map data and metadata are not included. They are labelled in Italian, with colour shading for heights, water features, routes etc, with pilot's routes very neatly drawn on. (MAP 1) Amara-Scioa Galla Siama-Harar: sheet size 260x79cm folding into 18x41cm boards; coverage bounded by the White Nile (W) to Ras Hafun on the Indian Ocean coast (E); showing major flight hubs in Ethiopia at Combolcia / Kombocha, Dire Daua, Addis Abeba etc. // (MAP 2) Eritrea: 191x86cm folding into 18x45cm; bounded by Cartum / Khartoum (W) to Ras Quseir on the Hadhramaut coast (E) thus including large parts of the Red Sea and Arabian peninsula; with one of the sheet titles preserved (Nacfa); and major flight hubs at Asmara, Assab and Massaua. // (MAP 3) Somalia: 228x91cm folding into 18x47cm; bounded by Torrit in Sudan (W) to Obbia / Hobyo (E); with major flight hubs at Neghelli and Mogadiscio / Mogadishu; with an inset map of Mogadishu.