OLIVIER RAYET: Memoire sur l ile de Kos. Paris 1875 First edition. In 4to (25x17 cm). Publisher’s original paper covers, back cover missing. Text clean and bright. Complete: 84 p. and 2 maps. Overall in very good condition. Olivier Rayet (1847–1887), a French archaeologist, visited Kos in 1871 and conducted the first archaeological research on the island. His account remains the most comprehensive 19th-century description of Kos, notable for its maturity despite his young age. Rayet examines the island with a rigorous scientific approach, covering not only archaeological observations but also social conditions, demographics, trade, and agriculture. The work provides a village-by-village survey of Kos, offering unique documentation of the island before modern transformations. Upon his return, Rayet presented his findings to the French state, where they were highly praised and published honorifically by the Imprimerie Nationale in a small, scholarly print run. A rare and important account of Kos in the 19th century.