Catherwood’s Views of Ancient Monuments in Central America, Chiapas, and Yucatán

For the first time since 1843, here is the text Frederick Catherwood prepared when his folio of lithographs, "Views of Ancient Monuments," was published. Mr. Catherwood is remembered as the architect, illustrator, and friend who accompanied John Lloyd Stephens on a journey that would become an epic in the annals of the Americas. The achievements of both men have captivated audiences across the generations in their two books, each in two volumes, chronicling their adventures, misadventures, and discoveries. "Incidents of Travels," published in 1841 and 1843, received a wide audience throughout the Western world. Stephens’s prose and Catherwood’s drawings found critical acclaim and continue to be widely read today. But what did Mr. Catherwood think? It is astounding to see the clarity of his observations. Indeed, his sensibilities and insights resonant to this day—and it is compelling to read what one of the pioneers of Maya studies thought about the world upon which he, and Stephens, stumbled. With a foreword by Louis E.V. Nevaer, director of Casa Frederick Catherwood in Mérida, Yucatán.