In addition to the Egyptian windows donated by his sister, MIT possesses countless books gifted directly by Arthur Rotch that reflect his keen interest in Islamic architecture. Their bookplates help to reconstruct the original contours of his collection. These volumes illuminate the bibliophile’s fascination with certain creators, including the Frenchman Pascal Xavier Coste (d. 1879). Coste served as the personal architect to the Khedive of Egypt Muhammad Ali Pasha (r. 1805–1848). Between 1817 and 1825, Coste produced significant early drawings and prints of Cairo’s Islamic architecture, which inspired many subsequent artists. Conservators preserved this cover from the original binding of Architecture arabe, which provides precious insight into its publication process. The owner pasted archival documents, including a letter from the author to a Monsieur Hugot at the “Institute” (likely referring to the Institut d’Egypt, the learned society in Cairo devoted to Egyptian culture). In it, Coste asks Hugot for feedback on a draft of his frontispiece design to avoid complicated alterations with his printers. Below the letter appears the pen-and-ink drawing in question.
Pascal Xavier Coste, Architecture arabe; ou, Monuments du Kaire, mesurés et dessinés, de 1818 à 1826. Paris: Typ. de Firmin Didot frères et compagnie, 1839.
Rotch Library Limited Access Collection, Department of Distinctive Collections, MIT Libraries: 10391413