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Catalogue 257 The Streeter Sale Revisited |
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Section I: Abert to Buttrick |
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Papers
on Book Collecting by William S. Reese
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In the Original Wrappers 1. [Abert,
James W.]: REPORT OF THE SECRETARY OF WAR, COMMUNICATING...A REPORT AND
MAP OF THE EXAMINATION OF NEW MEXICO, MADE BY LIEUTENANT J.W. ABERT...[wrapper
title]. Washington. 1848. 132pp. plus folding map and twenty-four
lithographed plates. Original printed yellow wrappers. Wrappers creased
and worn, lower outer corner of front and rear wrapper lacking, torn along
lower inner edge of front wrapper. Text, plates, and map impeccably clean
and bright, and internally in fine condition. A very attractive copy
overall, in original condition, untrimmed. In a half morocco and cloth
box. One
of the great southwestern government-sponsored explorations, here in its
earliest form, according to Wagner-Camp.
The lithographed plates, attributed to Abert himself, include views
of Santa Fe, Fort Marcy, San Felipe, the Pueblos, Indians, etc., and are
among the most celebrated depictions of the region.
The text describes Abert’s trip from Fort Leavenworth over the
Santa Fe Trail via Bent’s Fort, his survey of the northern part of New
Mexico, and return via the Trail. The
map is the most detailed survey of New Mexico then extant.
Also included are the numerals and vocabulary of the Cheyenne.
“...A basic SFT document” – Rittenhouse.
Hard to find in the original wrappers. This copy, like the Streeter copy, is in the original printed wrappers,
although his was sweetened by two laid-in Abert letters.
It sold to Canner for $200. Very Early Chicago Map 2. Acheson,
H.: THE CITY OF CHICAGO COOK CO. ILLINOIS. Chicago: H. Acheson, 1854.
Handcolored lithographic map, 21¾ x 16¾ inches. Small closed tear in
upper blank border neatly mended. A bit of light wrinkling. Near fine. A
very attractive map – one of the earliest of Chicago – and “the most
detailed map of Chicago thus far” (Streeter).
The map was lithographed by H. Acheson of 130 Lake Street, and is
colored in soft hues of yellow, blue, pink, and green.
The city is shown from Fullerton Avenue in the north to Ridgely
Place in the south, and from Western Avenue to the lake.
The city is divided into twenty-three numbered, colored sections
that correspond to a key giving the locations of churches, prominent
buildings, hotels, and railroad depots.
There is also a population table enumerating the city’s
inhabitants from 1840 to 1853. Several
railroad lines are shown, as is the course of the Chicago River, still
flowing directly into Lake Michigan. There were at least four variant issues of this map, each with a
different sponsoring land agent. This
copy bears the sponsorship of land agent Lewis W. Clark within a scroll in
the upper blank border. OCLC
locates copies at the Newberry Library, and Byrd adds the Streeter copy
(an Inglehart land agent issue) and copies at the Chicago Historical
Society. Graff had two variant
issues (Inglehart and Rees & Kerfoot as land agents).
A very rare and important map. The Streeter copy went to Ken Nebenzahl for $10 (he must have been
happy). Famous Early Wo 3. Acosta,
Jose de: THE NATURALL AND MORALL HISTORIE OF THE EAST AND WEST INDIES.
INTREATING OF THE REMARKEABLE THINGS OF HEAVEN, OF THE ELEMENTS, METTALLS,
PLANTS AND BEASTS WHICH ARE PROPER TO THAT COUNTRY: TOGETHER WITH THE
MANNERS, CEREMONIES, LAWES, GOVERNEMENTS, AND WARRES OF THE INDIANS.
London. 1604. [6],590pp. plus [13]pp. index and errata page. Contemporary
paneled calf, neatly rebacked in matching later calf, raised bands, gilt
leather label. Boards lightly rubbed, corners neatly repaired. Bookplate
of Sheppard Frere of Roydon on the front pastedown. Minor worming in the
lower edge of a few pages, else internally clean. A very good copy. First
English-language edition of this most important source book on the Indians
of Mexico and Peru, and on the natural history of South America, following
the Seville, 1590 first edition. A
Jesuit father, Acosta spent seventeen years in American missions in Mexico
and Peru between 1571 and 1588. While
in Peru he was instrumental in founding the printing press there, and its
first productions, in 1585, were prepared by him.
In addition to being an accomplished linguist, Acosta was one of
the first to formulate a systemic theory of anthropology, suggesting a
classification of different peoples into different types, which
foreshadowed later ideas of social evolution.
“As a natural historian, Acosta surpassed Oviedo.
He took a philosophical approach to natural phenomena, searching
for causes and effects in a spirit of critical inquiry...The subject of
his moral history is pre-Columbian civilizations, particularly the Aztecs
and the Incas, whose religions, customs, and governments he admiringly
compares” – Delgado-Gomez. “The
most convincing, detailed and reliable account of the riches and new
things of America. He provided
great detail in his descriptions of sailing directions, mineral wealth,
trading commodities, Indian history, etc.
Consequently his work operated more strongly than any other in
opening the eyes of the rest of Europe to the great wealth that Spain was
drawing from America” – Streeter. Acosta was a keen observer of New World plants.
He “mentions most of the plants used in Peru as foodstuffs or as
medicinals, and even the ornamentals. He remarks that the Indians loved
flowers just for their beauty” – Shaw.
There is also a detailed discussion of plants exported to the Old
World, such as ginger, and the use of coca in Peru. The Streeter copy sold for $600. Lexington and Concord, Firsthand 4. [American
Revolution]: NARRATIVE OF THE EXCURSION AND RAVAGES OF THE KING’S TROOPS
UNDER THE COMMAND OF GENERAL GAGE, ON THE NINETEENTH OF APRIL, 1775.
TOGETHER WITH THE DEPOSITIONS TAKEN BY ORDER OF CONGRESS, TO SUPPORT THE
TRUTH OF IT. Worcester: Isaiah Thomas, [1775]. 22[of 23]pp., the last
page (consisting of only six lines of text) supplied in expert facsimile.
Antique-style three-quarter speckled calf and contemporary marbled boards.
Minor repairs in the gutter of the titlepage, slight soiling and tanning,
else very good. One
of the most important Thomas imprints, the first book printed in
Worcester, and a vital source for firsthand accounts of the Battle of
Lexington and Concord. Ordered
printed by the Provincial Congress at Watertown, the present depositions
record the development of the harrowing events of the first major conflict
of the American Revolution. Half
of the collected testimonies, including that of John Parker, captain of
the Lexington militia, describe how on the morning of April 19, 1775 the
British regulars fired upon the assembled militia at Lexington, killing
eight men. The subsequent
testimonies describe the scene at Concord Bridge later in the day, with a
brief account of the battle and retreat of the regulars.
The testimony of Hannah Adams tells how the British soldiers sacked
and burned various houses during their retreat down the Bay road to
Charlestown. The last two
leaves provide a list of those killed and wounded during the engagements,
arranged by town. “This is
thought to be the first separate account in pamphlet form of the first
engagement of the American Revolution.
It was preceded by the rare ‘Bloody Butchery’ broadside” –
Streeter. The designation as
being the first book printed in Worcester is due to a manuscript note in
Isaiah Thomas’ hand atop the AAS copy, reading: “This was the first
printing done in Worcester.” Despite
being slightly imperfect here, this remains a work of the utmost rarity
and importance. The Streeter
copy, which sold for $5000 in 1967, is the last copy noted in auction
records. The Streeter copy, which was perfect, was bought by Peter Decker for the
Clements Library. 5. Atherton,
William: NARRATIVE OF THE SUFFERING & DEFEAT OF THE NORTHWESTERN ARMY,
UNDER GENERAL WINCHESTER.... Frankfort, Ky.: Printed for the
author..., 1842. 152pp. 12mo. Original roan backed plain boards, printed
paper label on front board. Spine worn, especially at head, but intact.
Boards somewhat soiled. Some light internal dampstaining. Overall good. Atherton
and his party travelled from Kentucky through Michigan and into Canada.
This volume prints his firsthand account of the Raisin River
massacre and its preface, followed by his experiences as a prisoner of war
at the hands of the British and Indians, including his observations of
Indian customs. Nebenzahl paid $30 for the Streeter copy, which was also somewhat worn. 6. Barbe
Marbois, François: THE HISTORY OF LOUISIANA, PARTICULARLY OF THE CESSION
OF THAT COLONY TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA; WITH AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY
ON THE CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES... Translated from
the French by an American Citizen. Philadelphia: Carey & Lea,
1830. xviii,[2],[17]-455pp. plus errata. Contemporary mottled calf,
leather label. Calf scuffed and edgeworn. Foxed throughout. A sound copy. First
American edition, after the original French edition of the previous year.
“Barbe-Marbois represented France in the preliminary negotiations
with the United States on the Louisiana purchase and his book is one of
the main sources on that subject. It
shows that in the claim by the United States in the negotiations with
Great Britain, that the northern boundary of Louisiana included the area
now comprised in Oregon, Washington and Idaho was without foundation”
– Streeter. The Streeter copy brought $70. 7. Barnes,
Joseph: REMARKS ON MR. JOHN FITCH’S REPLY TO MR. JAMES RUMSEY’S
PAMPHLET. Philadelphia: Joseph James, 1788. xvi,16pp. 19th-century
three-quarter morocco and marbled boards. Moderate wear at spine and
corners. Bit tanned, some light foxing. Still very good. In a half morocco
box. From
the collection of Haskell F. Norman, with his bookplate.
An important work relating to the invention of steamboats, a
technological breakthrough of profound implications.
Barnes issued this pamphlet in response to James Rumsey’s A
Short Treatise on the Application of Steam (1788).
He supports Rumsey’s claim of priority in the invention of
steam-powered water transport. Fitch
had claimed his steamboat inventions had priority, and he apparently did
publicize his inventions before Rumsey.
This book is of extreme rarity, as is the pamphlet to which it
responds. Goodspeed’s paid $425 for the Streeter copy, which is now at the
Cincinnati Public Library. 8. Barrington,
Daines: MISCELLANIES.... London. 1781. iv,viii,557,[1]pp. plus two
maps (one folding), five tables (one folding) and two plates. Quarto.
Early 19th-century three-quarter calf and marbled boards. Slight edge
wear. A few fox marks on preliminary and final leaves. Overall a very
good, clean copy. A
strange ensemble, but the two articles of the greatest interest in the
collection are “The Possibility of approaching the North Pole
discussed” and “Journal of a Voyage in 1775. To explore the coast of
America, Northward of California.” This
section, some ninety pages long, was written by Don Francisco de la Bodega
and is illustrated with a map of the Pacific Coast of America from Baja to
Alaska, with capes named by Bodega marked.
Wagner comments at length on the origin of this often inaccurate
map. Much of the first article
was drawn from information provided by whaling captains.
There are several pieces devoted to natural historical subjects, as
well as “Ohthere’s ‘Voyage, and the Geography of the Ninth Century
illustrated.’” In
addition, there is an account, illustrated with an engraved portrait, of
“a very remarkable young musician” (i.e. Johannes Chrysostomus
Wolfgangus Mozart). The Streeter copy went to an order bidder for $175. 9. Bartlett,
John R.: PERSONAL NARRATIVE OF EXPLORATIONS AND INCIDENTS IN TEXAS, NEW
MEXICO, CALIFORNIA, SONORA AND CHIHUAHUA, CONNECTED WITH THE UNITED STATES
AND MEXICAN BOUNDARY COMMISSION, DURING THE YEARS 1850, ’51, ’52, AND
’53. New York. 1854. Two volumes bound in one. [2],xxii,506pp. plus
plates, folding map, and [6]pp. of ads; [2],xvii,[1],624pp. plus plates.
Folding frontispiece in each volume. Later green cloth, spine gilt. Cloth
lightly worn at spine ends and corners. Closed tear in folding map
repaired by tape on verso, light offsetting from frontispieces onto
titlepages, as usual. Light dampstain in lower margin of about half the
text and plates. Withal, a very good copy, with the bookplate of historian
and cartobibliographer Carl Wheat on the front pastedown. First
edition of this cornerstone work of southwestern travel and exploration.
The expedition left Indianola in September 1850 and spent nearly
three years travelling throughout the region in an effort to determine the
border between the United States and Mexico, which had been left
indefinite by the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo after the Mexican War.
The resultant work remains one of the most readable and accurate
accounts of the American Southwest for the period, and the illustrations
include some of the most competent depictions of the area.
The large folding map shows the region in detail.
Various bibliographies record different numbers of illustrations
and plates for this edition, and there are also differences between the
printed lists of illustrations included in the two volumes and the plates
that were actually published. The
wood-engravings and lithographs in this set match those in the two copies
found at the Beinecke Library. “Bartlett’s
Narrative is an essential book for the southwest...” – Graff.
Bartlett later became the first librarian of the John Carter Brown
Library. A common but important book, the Streeter copy was right on the market of
the time at $150. We sold the
Streeter copy again in 1992. The
present copy is in the remainder binding, and so is not exactly
comparable. Bartram, Kalm, and Collinson: 10. Bartram,
John, and Peter Kalm: OBSERVATIONS ON THE INHABITANTS, CLIMATE, SOIL,
RIVERS, PRODUCTIONS, ANIMALS, AND OTHER MATTERS WORTHY OF NOTICE. MADE BY
MR. JOHN BARTRAM, IN HIS TRAVELS FROM PENSILVANIA TO ONONDAGO, OSWEGO AND
LAKE ONTARIO, IN CANADA. TO WHICH IS ANNEX’D, A CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF THE
CATARACTS AT NIAGARA. BY MR. PETER KALM, A SWEDISH GENTLEMAN WHO TRAVELLED
THERE. London: Printed for J. Whiston and B. White, 1751. 94pp. plus
folding plan of Fort Oswego. Modern three-quarter morocco over marbled
boards, boards and spine gilt. Upper joint worn, lower joint tender.
Internally very clean. A very good copy. In a half morocco slipcase. The
journal of eminent American naturalist John Bartram, kept during his trip
from July 3 to Aug. 19, 1743 through Pennsylvania and into the Indian
country of New York as far as Oswego and Lake George, in the company of
cartographer Lewis Evans and interpreter Conrad Weiser, to hold a
conference with the Iroquois Indians.
The journal contains descriptions of the country and detailed
observations of American Indian life.
There is also a plan of an Iroquois longhouse on the folding plan
of Fort Oswego. Besides this
journal, the text includes a letter from Bartram to Swedish naturalist and
traveller Peter Kalm, describing Niagara.
Bartram’s international fame rested on his extensive
correspondence with leading European scientists, and it was through his
contact with British naturalist Peter Collinson that this journal came to
be published, sent to press by Collinson without Bartram’s knowledge.
Bartram was surprised and somewhat annoyed with his British friend
when he was sent a copy of the book, since he had wanted to expand on his
original diary before publication. A
rare and important work. Sessler paid $1000 for the Streeter copy. A Classic of American 11. Bartram,
William: TRAVELS THROUGH NORTH & SOUTH CAROLINA, GEORGIA, EAST &
WEST FLORIDA, THE CHEROKEE COUNTRY, THE EXTENSIVE TERRITORIES OF THE
MUSCOGULGES, OR CREEK CONFEDERACY, AND THE COUNTRY OF THE CHACTAWS [sic]....
Philadelphia: Printed by James & Johnson, 1791. [2], xxxiv,522pp. plus
frontispiece portrait, folding map, and seven plates (one folding).
Contemporary calf, spine gilt, red leather label. Frontispiece laid down,
minor losses to left margin not affecting image, with faint remnant of old
library stamp in upper margin. Final text leaf remargined, text
unaffected. Scattered foxing and tanning. Overall a very good copy, in a
contemporary calf binding. In a half morocco and cloth box. The
rare first edition of one of the classic accounts of southern natural
history and exploration, with much material on the southern Indian tribes.
For the period, Bartram’s work is unrivalled.
“...Bartram wrote with all the enthusiasm and interest with which
the fervent old Spanish friars and missionaries narrated the wonders of
the new found world...he neglected nothing which would add to the common
stock of human knowledge” – Field.
“Unequalled for the vivid picturesqueness of its descriptions of
nature, scenery, and productions” – Sabin.
Includes a chapter concerning the customs and language of the
Muscogulges and Cherokees. The Streeter copy brought a surprisingly high $2250, well over the market
for the time. This is a book
which seems to do well at big-name sales.
The Bradley Martin copy brought $6875 in 1991. Classic View of Louisiana 12. [Baudry
Des Lozières, Louis N.]: VOYAGE A LA LOUISIANE, ET SUR LE CONTINENT DE
L’AMÉRIQUE SEPTENTRIONALE, FAIT DANS LES ANNÉES 1794 A 1798; CONTENANT
UN TABLEAU HISTORIQUE DE LA LOUISIANE.... Paris. 1802. viii,382pp.
plus folding map. Half title. Contemporary three-quarter calf and boards,
black gilt morocco label. Front hinge slightly cracked, spine with minute
worming. Internally bright and clean. Near fine. One
of the classic early views of Louisiana at the beginning of the 19th
century. It has been suggested
that this work was written when it was first thought that Louisiana would
be returned to France, in an effort to demonstrate its importance as a
colony. While less a work of
personal observation than a collection of contemporary data and reports,
the text includes some discussion of Texas, the resident Indian tribes and
their languages, accounts of slavery and colonial administration, etc. Henry Stevens bought the Streeter copy for $150. 13. Bayard,
Ferdinand M.: VOYAGE DANS L’INTERIEUR DES ETATS-UNIS, A BATH,
WINCHESTER, DANS LA VALLEE DE SHENANDOAH.... Paris. 1797. 336pp. Half
title. Original plain wrappers. Front joint a bit worn, old stain on rear
wrapper. Near fine, untrimmed. Bayard
was twenty-three when he made this trip with his wife and children to
summer at Bath in the Shenandoah Valley to escape the heat of the
Baltimore summer. His book is
devoted mainly to observations of society in Virginia and is one of the
better pictures of life there at the time.
“Bayard’s account affords a sympathetic, sentimental, leisurely
picture of society at a forgotten watering place seldom visited by
travelers. His social and
intellectual adaptability and the length of his stay set his book apart
from the customary tourist-guide gazetteer” – Clark. Nebenzahl paid $50 for the Streeter copy. The “Admiralty” Edition 14. [Beechey,
Frederick W.]: NARRATIVE OF A VOYAGE TO THE PACIFIC AND BEERING’S [sic]
STRAIT, TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE POLAR EXPEDITIONS...IN THE YEARS 1825, 26,
27, 28.... London: Henry Colburn and Richard Bentley..., 1831. Two
volumes bound in one. xxi,[3],392pp. plus fourteen plates and three maps
(two folding); vii,[1],[393]-742pp. plus nine plates. Quarto. Contemporary
marbled boards, rebacked in antique three-quarter calf, spine gilt,
leather label. Boards rubbed. A few scattered marginal fox marks, some
offsetting from the maps. Else a very good copy. The
coveted “Admiralty” edition, printed on large paper.
Beechey’s expedition went to Bering Strait and beyond to meet and
assist the Franklin and Parry parties, whom Beechey expected to arrive
from the East. The expedition
was based at Kotzebue Sound. Franklin’s
team arrived within fifty leagues of Beechey’s encampment, but was
forced by weather to return. This
work is “one of the most valuable of modern voyages” (Hill) and
incorporates accounts of visits to Pitcairn Island, Tahiti, Alaska,
Hawaii, Macao, Okinawa, and the coast of California.
On Pitcairn Island, Beechey met John Adams, the last survivor of
the Bounty mutiny. He gives an
important account of Monterey and San Francisco before the American
conquest, with much on the missionaries in California.
Considerable botanical information gathered during the voyage was
published separately by W.J. Hooker. The
narrative of the trip provides a background for where and when the plants
were collected. The maps are a
chart of the Pacific showing the route of Beechey’s ship, and a map of
the northwest coast of Alaska. Contains
a “Vocabulary of Words of the Western Esquimaux.”
The collation given in Streeter calls for only seven plates in the
second part, due to his counting the three fossil plates as one, but there
are actually three fossil plates (see the note in Lada-Mocarski). Maggs paid $275 for the Streeter copy. 15. Bell,
Horace: REMINISCENCES OF A RANGER OR, EARLY TIMES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
Los Angeles. 1881. 457pp. Original gilt pictorial cloth. A bit shaken,
extremities rubbed, gilt still bright. Non-authorial gift inscription on
front free endpaper. Internally clean. A good plus copy. “The
most readable historical narrative of early Southern California” –
Howes. Bell includes accounts
of his service with Walker in Nicaragua, exploits of notorious western
badmen (Joaquin Murieta, et al), overland travel, Indian fighting, etc.
Important as the first clothbound book printed, bound, and
published in Los Angeles. The Streeter copy went to Ken Nebenzahl for $35. 16. [Benton,
Thomas H.]: IN SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES...RESOLVED, THAT THE COMMITTEE
ON INDIAN AFFAIRS BE INSTRUCTED TO INQUIRE INTO THE PRESENT STATE OF THE
FUR TRADE...MR. BENTON MADE THE FOLLOWING REPORT.... [Washington.
1829]. 19pp. Modern three-quarter red morocco and cloth, gilt-lettered
spine. Minute foxing. Overall very good. Includes
reports from Ashley and J.J. Astor. An
important document, marking the beginning of official government interest
in the Rocky Mountain fur trade. Ginsberg paid $200 for the Streeter copy, certainly on the basis of the
Benton letter laid in. The
report itself was then worth about $25. “...first-hand picture of life in New Orleans...” 17. Berquin-Duvallon,
Mr.: VUE DE LA COLONIE ESPAGNOLE DU MISSISSIPI [sic], OU DES
PROVINCES DE LOUISIANE ET FLORIDE OCCIDENTALE, EN L’ANNÉE 1802....
Paris: A l’Imprimerie Expeditive, 1803. xx,318,5,[4]pp. plus two colored
folding maps. Half title. Contemporary half calf and marbled boards,
ornate gilt spine. Slight dampstain in outer corners. Color on maps clean
and bright. Very good. First
edition of this “entertaining and gossipy first-hand picture of life in
New Orleans at the turn of the century...At the end are general accounts
of the natural features of Louisiana, its commerce, and other general
subjects. Its two colored
maps, one of lower, the other of upper Louisiana...are well worthwhile”
– Streeter. “This resident
observer has given a good description of Louisiana and West
Florida...[during] the year in which the dominion of this region passed to
the United States” – Raines. The
work was immediately popular. Two
more editions appeared before the 1806 New York translation, with an 1804
German translation as well. Goodspeed’s bought the Streeter copy for $375. The First History of Virginia by a Native 18. [Beverley,
Robert]: THE HISTORY AND PRESENT STATE OF VIRGINIA, IN FOUR PARTS...By a
Native and Inhabitant of the Place. London: Printed for R. Parker,
1705. [12],16,[4],104,40,64,83pp. plus additional engraved title-page,
folding table, and fourteen plates. Modern calf, raised bands, with gilt
spine, boards, and inner dentelles. A few minor wear marks on rear board.
Remnants of bookplates on front pastedown. Internally very clean. A fine
copy. The
first edition of the first history of the Virginia colony written by a
native historian, and one of the most reliable and informative accounts of
the early period. Beverley
covers all aspects of life in Virginia, including produce both natural and
cultivated, early plantations, and history up to the time of writing.
Beverley was a clerk of the council of Virginia about 1697, when
Andros was governor. “After
John Smith, the first account of this colony, the first one penned by a
native and the best contemporary account of its aboriginal tribes and the
life of its early settlers” – Howes.
“A valuable first hand account of conditions, written by a self
consciously American observer of nature, the Indians, political and social
life” – Vail. The finely
executed plates are based on the engravings found in the first part of
Theodor De Bry’s Grand Voyages, a volume devoted to Hariot’s
late 16th-century work regarding Virginia.
The images are based on the original drawings produced by John
White. Seven Gables Book Shop bought the Streeter copy for $300. 19. [Beverley,
Robert]: THE HISTORY OF VIRGINIA, IN FOUR PARTS.... London. 1722.
[8],284,[28]pp. plus fifteen engraved plates including frontispiece. Late
19th-century green morocco, boards and spine finely gilt, t.e.g., gilt
inner dentelles. Occasional minor soiling in margins. A near fine copy. The
Robert Hoe copy, with his bookplate on the front pastedown.
Second edition of Beverley’s The History and Present State of
Virginia..., following the first edition of 1705, one of the first
histories of Virginia, by a planter who spent most of his life there.
The present edition contains important textual additions, including
the author’s theories on the desirability of Indian-White intermarriage.
Also contains a brief section on Indian languages and learning. Seven Gables Book Shop bought this copy for $180, evidently for noted
collector William Schiede, who later gave it to a family member. With the Maps, Usually Lacking 20. [Bollan,
William]: THE IMPORTANCE AND ADVANTAGE OF CAPE BRETON, TRULY STATED, AND
IMPARTIALLY CONSIDERED. WITH PROPER MAPS. London. 1746. vi,[2],156pp.
plus two folding engraved maps. Contemporary calf, spine gilt. Hinges
cracked but holding, spine ends worn. Internally quite clean. Some
occasional light foxing or browning. A good plus copy. In a half morocco
and cloth box. “Bollan
wrote this when in England in 1746 as agent for the Massachusetts Bay
Colony, in representing the claim of that colony for repayment of over £180,000
spent on the Louisbourg expedition of the year before.
He refers to Pepperell’s An Accurate Journal of the
Proceedings of the New-England Landforces, Exeter, 1746, as a reason
for not making an extended account of the campaign, but does devote
several pages to the daring of William Vaughan, ‘the Original Mover and
Projector of this grand and successful enterprise.’
In due course Bollan collected £200,000 in silver for the
colony” – Streeter. The
handsome engraved maps are of Cape Breton and North America, “as far as
relates to the English settlements,” north to Hudson Bay, south to
Florida and part of the Caribbean, and west beyond the Mississippi. Scribner’s bought the Streeter copy for $90.
It evidently migrated to Canada, where it popped up in the hands of
a Canadian dealer in 1994. In
1999 it surfaced again and we bought it, selling it to the Society of the
Cincinnati, where it now resides. 21. Boller,
Henry A.: AMONG THE INDIANS. EIGHT YEARS IN THE FAR WEST: 1858 – 1866.
EMBRACING SKETCHES OF MONTANA AND SALT LAKE. Philadelphia. 1868.
428pp. plus folding map. Original cloth, spine gilt. A couple small nicks
at spine ends, bookplate carefully removed from rear pastedown. Otherwise
a fine, clean copy, with the map in pristine condition. Boller
entered the fur trade on the Upper Missouri in 1858, in the service of the
American Fur Company. Most of
the book deals with his experiences with the Indians in Montana as a
trader for the Company. His
account is one of the most vivid and well written narratives of the trade,
and one of the few relating to the period it addresses.
At the end of his sojourn in the West, Boller spent some time in
Utah among the Mormons. Although
this book bears an imprint of 1868, it was probably printed the previous
year, as Graff owned a copy that was inscribed on Oct. 31, 1867.
Wheat describes the map as notable for the places located and
described in the text. It
shows Montana and the Dakotas, with parts of Idaho, Utah, Colorado,
Wyoming, and Nebraska. Ginsberg paid $160 for the Streeter copy. The Siebert Copy 22. Bossu,
Jean Bernard: NOUVEAUX VOYAGES AUX INDES OCCIDENTALES; CONTENANT UNE
RELATION DES DIFFERENS PEUPLES QUI HABITENT LES ENVIRONS DU GRAND FLEUVE
SAINT-LOUIS, APPELLÉ VULGAIREMENT LE MISSISSIPI; LEUR RELIGION; LEUR
GOUVERNEMENT; LEURS MOEURS; LEURS GUERRES & LEUR COMMERCE. Paris.
1768. Two volumes. xx,244; [4],264pp. plus four plates including
frontispieces. Half titles. 12mo. Original plain wrappers. Wrappers and
spines worn. Internally bright and lovely. A very good set, in original,
unsophisticated condition, untrimmed. In a cloth chemise and slipcase,
morocco label, gilt. Bossu
went to Louisiana in 1750 as a captain of the Marines.
This narrative is comprised of a series of twenty-one letters to
the Marquis de L’Estrade, describing his life and travels in the vast
Louisiana country from 1751 to 1762. His
ventures ranged from Fort Chartres, in present-day Illinois, to Mobile,
and along the Mississippi River. His
visit to New Orleans took place only thirty years after its founding, and
he was able to gather considerable information from the recollections of
locals. “Bossu wrote well
and his letters not only give an interesting picture of life in the
Mississippi Valley and the Mobile Country to the east at the beginning of
the second half of the eighteenth century, but incorporated also are many
sketches of events in preceding years” – Streeter.
“For comments, too critical of the ministry, Bossu was imprisoned
and his book banned for awhile in France; this probably accounts for the
scarcity of the first edition, of which Sabin found no record” –
Howes. An important West
Florida book. Servies for some
unknown reason cites the first English edition and puts this first edition
in a footnote. Ralph Newman paid $250 for the Streeter copy.
It was sold again by MacManus for $1350 in 1981 and disappeared
from view. Streeter himself
paid Goodspeed’s $50 for it in 1950. 23. Boynton,
Charles B., and T.B. Mason: A JOURNEY THROUGH KANSAS; WITH SKETCHES OF
NEBRASKA: DESCRIBING THE COUNTRY, CLIMATE, SOIL, MINERAL, MANUFACTURING,
AND OTHER RESOURCES. THE RESULTS OF A TOUR MADE IN THE AUTUMN OF 1854.
Cincinnati. 1855. x,216pp. plus folding map. Original printed wrappers
bound into modern half morocco and marbled boards, raised bands. Wrappers
darkened and soiled, small old library stamp on titlepage, light scattered
foxing. A good copy. With a prescient contemporary ink inscription on the
titlepage: “Preserve this. It will be curious in future years.” An
important Kansas travel narrative, reported by Dolbee as “The Second
book on Kansas” in the Kansas Historical Quarterly for May 1935. Describes
the trip, settlement in Kansas, the growing sectional difficulties, and
the author’s return to Cincinnati. The
map depicts Kansas and portions of Nebraska.
“Boynton, a native of Massachusetts, was the sole author of this
work. He was a resident of
Cincinnati at the time it was written.
Boynton and Mason traveled to Kansas in the fall of 1854.
The narrative describes their voyage up the Missouri River, Indian
fighting, hunting on the plains and in the Rocky Mountains...” – Dary. New York dealer Helen Card paid $125 for the Streeter copy.
It reappeared at auction at Swann in 2003, where it sold to the
phone for $600 plus 15%. 24. Brackenridge,
Henry M.: VIEWS OF LOUISIANA; TOGETHER WITH A JOURNAL OF A VOYAGE UP THE
MISSOURI RIVER, IN 1811. Pittsburgh. 1814. 304pp. Modern half calf and
marbled boards, leather label. Ex-lib. with blindstamp and discard on
titlepage, number stamps in blank margin of first page of note to the
reader. Contemporary ink signature on titlepage. Tanned. Else very good. Brackenridge
left St. Charles, Missouri in the spring of 1811, in company with fur
trader Manuel Lisa. His
journal describes his trip up the Missouri and gives an account of the
overland trek of the Stuart-Crooks party from Oregon to St. Louis in 1812.
The first section of the text describes the whole new territory of
Louisiana, its history, existing settlements, natural history, Indian
tribes, and natural resources. “An
impartial and careful writer” – Clark. I have sold many copies of this important book, but since 1978, I’ve
always had at least one copy in stock.
It is not uncommon. The
Streeter copy, sold to Sanders, brought $650, presumably on the strength
of being in original boards. 25. Brackenridge,
Hugh Henry: GAZETTE PUBLICATIONS. Carlisle: Printed by Alexander &
Phillips, 1806. 348pp. Three-quarter antique calf and marbled boards,
spine gilt, leather label. Tanned, contemporary ownership markings on
titlepage. Old ex-lib. rubberstamp on titlepage and another leaf. Upper
forecorner of pp.329-330 torn, with loss of a few words. Overall good. An
interesting collection of poetry and articles, both literary and
historical, including a description of Pittsburgh “and the state of
society at that place” during the 1780s.
The author was the father of Henry M. Brackenridge and wrote a
number of notable early American literary works, most famously Modern
Chivalry. “Apparently
privately printed” – Sabin. Shaw
& Shoemaker locate only seven copies of this scarce early Pennsylvania
book. Sessler paid $90 for the Streeter copy. Up the Missouri with Hunt 26. Bradbury,
John: TRAVELS IN THE INTERIOR OF AMERICA, IN THE YEARS 1809, 1810, AND
1811; INCLUDING A DESCRIPTION OF UPPER LOUISIANA, TOGETHER WITH THE STATES
OF OHIO, KENTUCKY, INDIANA, AND TENNESSEE, WITH THE ILLINOIS AND WESTERN
TERRITORIES.... Liverpool. 1817. xii,[9]-364pp. plus errata slip.
Modern three-quarter morocco and marbled boards, spine gilt, leather
labels. Bit tanned, small bookseller’s blindstamp on titlepage, else
very good. With the bookplate of distinguished botanical collector Kenneth
Mackenzie. Bradbury
was a Scottish naturalist who went up the Missouri River with Wilson Price
Hunt’s party, stopping at the Mandan villages, then returning down river
to St. Louis with H.M. Brackenridge. The
appendix includes an account of the Stuart overland trip, with a reprint
of the American Enterprise article (see Wagner-Camp 11) about their
expedition. In addition, there
is an Osage vocabulary, considerable information about the Mississippi
Valley, and an account of the captivity of John Colter.
There is also a “Catalogue of some of the more rare or valuable
plants discovered in the neighborhood of St. Louis and on the Missouri.”
This work is not mentioned in Taxonomic Literature, but Ewan
tells us that Bradbury was a “Scotch naturalist who came to America to
collect seeds and objects of natural history for the Liverpool Botanical
Garden.” Although Bradbury
seldom mentions it, he was accompanied on this trip by naturalist Thomas
Nuttall. A basic and rare work
on the first probings up the Missouri. Fleming paid $450 for the Streeter copy, in original boards but lacking
the errata. Classic of Early Tennessee 27. Breazeale,
J.W.M.: LIFE AS IT IS; OR MATTERS AND THINGS IN GENERAL: CONTAINING,
AMONGST OTHER THINGS, HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF THE EXPLORATION AND FIRST
SETTLEMENT OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE; MANNERS AND CUSTOMS OF THE
INHABITANTS; THEIR WARS WITH THE INDIANS; BATTLE OF KING’S MOUNTAIN;
HISTORY OF THE HARPS, (TWO NOTED MURDERERS).... Knoxville: James
Williams, 1842. 256pp. 12mo. Original half cloth and paper covered boards,
paper label. Boards lightly stained, paper label chipped and rubbed. Two
leaves with closed tears but no loss of text. A few light fox marks, but
on the whole very clean internally. Overall, a very good copy, in original
condition. A
most important book, recording in detail the history of conflict between
the settlers in Tennessee and the Indians, from 1690 to date, including
accounts of massacres, captivities, and depredations, the Cherokee war,
Blount’s campaign, the effects of lack of federal military aid for the
inhabitants during the wars with Britain, etc.
Breazeale continues with a general history of Tennessee, an account
of his expectations for future prospects, and a full chapter devoted to
the notorious Harpes. “Deserves
a place in every Tennessee historical library” – Horn.
Rare, and very seldom offered for sale. A southern collector paid a strong $800 for the Streeter copy. “...fundamental document 28. [British
Columbia]: COPIES OR EXTRACTS OF CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE DISCOVERY
OF GOLD IN THE FRASER’S RIVER DISTRICT, IN BRITISH NORTH AMERICA.
PRESENTED TO BOTH HOUSES OF PARLIAMENT BY COMMANDE OF HER MAJESTY. JULY 2,
1858. London: Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1858. 18pp. plus large, colored
folding map. Modern quarter cloth-backed paper-covered boards,
gilt-stamped cover. Institutional stamp at head of titlepage. Fine. An
important collection of thirteen letters and associated documents
pertaining to the gold discovery, including several from Gov. Douglas and
John Shepherd, governor of the Hudson’s Bay Company, including comments
on threats from Indians, the influx of emigrants from Oregon and
California, disastrous flooding of the diggings, etc.
The map, lithographed by Arrowsmith, depicts the length of the
Fraser River from Fort Hope to the fork with the Thompson River.
“This fundamental document on the gold discovery...is the basis
for practically all the guides and other pamphlets on that famous Gold
Rush” – Streeter. Nebenzahl paid $100 for the Streeter copy. With the Plan of a Utopian Suburb 29. Bullock,
William: SKETCH OF A JOURNEY THROUGH THE WESTERN STATES OF NORTH AMERICA,
FROM NEW ORLEANS, BY THE MISSISSIPPI, OHIO, CITY OF CINCINNATI...TO NEW
YORK, IN 1827. London: John Miller, 1827. xxxi,viii,135pp. plus
folding map and folding plan. Half title. Later half vellum and paper
boards, paper label. Boards lightly worn. Large folding plan expertly
backed on light tissue. A very good copy. In a half morocco box. This
copy bears a presentation inscription from the author on the titlepage:
“with W. Bullock’s compliments.”
Bullock was a museum proprietor, artist, social visionary, and
reformer. After a trip to
Mexico, he travelled up the Mississippi River from New Orleans to
Cincinnati. He spent some time
there and in northern Kentucky, where he was so taken with the countryside
that he purchased a thousand-acre tract with the goal of building “a
small town of retirement” to provide a retreat from “a populous
manufacturing city.” On his
return to England, Bullock commissioned a plan for his “rural town, to
be called Hygeia,” an early suburban vision of houses set amid gardens
wrapped along the banks of the Ohio. Designed
by J.B. Popworth, it is a striking early American utopian project, with a
proposed layout anticipating 20th-century attempts at planned communities. “A learned English showman, traveler, and lecturer...He was amazed by
the magnificence of the Ohio above Louisville and wrote enthusiastic
descriptions of the countryside and Cincinnati” – Hubach.
The second part of the volume consists of a reprint of Drake and
Mans-field’s description of Cincinnati, with a separate titlepage and
pagination. Helen Card paid $275 for the Streeter copy.
It later ended up in the collection of Frank Streeter, the son of
Thomas W. Streeter, and appeared in his sale at Christie’s in April
2007, where it sold to Maggs for $1920. Key Document 30. [Burr-Wilkinson
Conspiracy]: REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE, APPOINTED TO INQUIRE INTO THE
CONDUCT OF BRIGADIER GEN. J. WILKINSON. MAY 1st, 1810. Washington:
Printed by Roger C. Weightman, 1810. 217pp. plus five folding tables.
Gathered signatures, stitched as issued. Titlepage torn in upper right
margin and lower margin, with no loss of text. Scattered foxing and light
tanning. Good, untrimmed. In a cloth clamshell case, leather label. A
rare and important collection of documents relating to the Burr-Wilkinson
conspiracy. Wilkinson, who had
a distinguished military career dating back to the Revolution, was
appointed governor of Louisiana Territory by Jefferson in 1805.
He conspired with Burr to carve out an empire in the West, and when
Burr was found out, Wilkinson turned on him.
“Report of the congressional inquiry in relation to Wilkinson’s
having received money from Spain and having been an accomplice with Burr
in a plot to dismember the Union. It
is an important document of the conspiracy, containing the secret letters
and correspondence of Carondelet, Wilkinson, Power, Philip Nolan, Portell
and others; the reports of various members of the intrigue on the state of
the Western Country and people; reports of observation, negotiation and
travel through the Mississippi Valley from New Orleans to Detroit; with
depositions of the informants, etc.” – Eberstadt. Nebenzahl bought the Streeter copy for $350, a strong price at the time.
A copy sold at auction in the spring of 2007 for $4080. 31. [Burr-Wilkinson
Conspiracy]: REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE APPOINTED TO INQUIRE INTO THE CONDUCT
OF GENERAL WILKINSON. FEBRUARY 26, 1811. Washington: A. and G. Way,
1811. 582pp. plus four folding tables. Contemporary three-quarter calf and
marbled boards, gilt morocco label. Boards a bit rubbed. Scattered foxing.
A very good copy. This
copy bears the ownership signature of Stephen R. Bradley at the foot of
the titlepage. Stephen Row
Bradley (1754-1830) graduated from Yale and served in the Continental Army
and in a variety of judicial and political posts in Vermont before
becoming the first United States Senator from that state, in 1791.
He served in that position until 1795, and again in the U.S. Senate
from 1801 to 1813, as a Democratic Republican. An important and scarce collection of documents giving much insight into
the workings of the Burr-Wilkinson conspiracy, issued in the same year
that Wilkinson was court-martialed (and eventually found not guilty) for
his role in the affair. Wilkinson,
who had a distinguished military career dating back to the Revolution, was
appointed governor of Louisiana Territory by Jefferson in 1805.
He conspired with Burr to carve out an empire in the West, and when
Burr was found out, Wilkinson turned on him.
These documents bring together evidence of the charges that
Wilkinson accepted money from Spanish authorities, and that he worked with
Burr in a plot to break off southern and western territories from the
United States. Included are
depositions of witnesses both for and against Wilkinson, private letters
to and from Wilkinson, reproductions of correspondence between him and the
War Department, and much, much more. Two
of the plates reproduce ciphers that Burr and Wilkinson used in their
secret correspondence. Tompkins notes that most copies end at page 522, instead of at page 582
(as in this copy). Howes and
Shaw & Shoemaker call for five folding tables, but we believe that
count to be incorrect, as most copies of which we are aware contain four
or fewer folding tables. Tompkins
calls for only two sheets of ciphers (both present in this copy), and the
Streeter copy had only three folding tables.
Not in Sabin. Scarce on
the market, and important in telling the story of the Burr conspiracy and
Wilkinson’s role in it. Ralph Newman paid $150 for the Streeter copy. Famous American Crook and Confidence Man: 32. Burroughs,
Stephen: MEMOIRS OF STEPHEN BURROUGHS. [with:] ...VOLUME II.
Hanover, N.H.: Benjamin True, 1798, and Boston: Caleb Bingham, 1804. Two
volumes. [2],vi-vii,[8]-298; 202pp. Portrait on newsprint pasted to verso
of second volume titlepage. First volume: Octavo. Modern calf. Second
volume: 12mo. Contemporary calf, neatly rebacked in matching style. Some
foxing and tanning. A very good set. The
Thomas W. Streeter-Frank S. Streeter copy, with their bookplates on the
front paste-downs, and Thomas Streeter’s pencil notes on the front
pastedown of the second volume. A complete set of this memoir of a notorious swindler and con man,
including the notoriously rare second volume.
Burroughs (1765-1840) was born in Hanover, New Hampshire, the son
of a Congregational minister, and quickly gained a reputation as a
troublesome child. He ran away
from home at age fourteen, joined the army only to desert shortly
thereafter, and then enrolled at Dartmouth.
He left college early, went to sea as a privateer, and impersonated
a ship’s physician. Back in
New England he impersonated a minister in Pellham, Massachusetts, and was
soon caught counterfeiting money. Burroughs
was imprisoned in Northampton, where he tried several times to escape
before setting fire to the jail, which resulted in his incarceration at
Castle Island in Boston Harbor. He
escaped from the island fortress, was recaptured, and served out his term,
eventually moving to Canada, where he became the leader of a
counterfeiting ring. Later in
life he reformed, joined the Catholic church, and became a teacher to
privileged youth. “One of the great criminal autobiographies, and an important piece of
picaresque Americana” – Streeter. As
the second volume was published some years later in a different city, and
evidently in much smaller numbers, complete sets are virtually impossible
to come by. Shaw &
Shoemaker locate only three copies of the second volume. Helen Card paid $375 for this set at the Streeter sale.
The first volume has since been rebound to match the second. A Great Rarity of Midwestern Travel 33. [Buttrick,
Tilly, Jr.]: VOYAGES, TRAVELS AND DISCOVERIES OF TILLY BUTTRICK, JR.
Boston: Printed for the author, 1831. 58pp. 12mo. Dbd. Old leather square
affixed to verso of titlepage, causing the paper to wrinkle, otherwise
very clean and fresh. A very good copy. In a half morocco box. Buttrick,
a native of Massachusetts, had made a voyage to the Pacific and one to the
West Indies. He was taken
captive while travelling through Canada at the outbreak of the War of 1812
and held as prisoner on parole until an influential friend enabled him to
be released. In July 1814 he
commenced a journey down the Allegheny with four companions, covering 270
miles in eight days. They
travelled on to Louisville and Cincinnati, returning by horseback.
In March 1815, Buttrick left Olean on a flat boat, went to New
Orleans, then returned to Cincinnati.
“...The most interesting part of his narrative details his
suffering in returning. This
terrible journey from New Orleans through the Indian country to Cincinnati
he performed entirely on foot, generally alone, always sick, often hungry,
and sometimes nearly starved” – Thomson.
He reached Cincinnati after a grueling forty-seven days.
A rare work, earning a “c” from Howes, and the Streeter copy
brought $900 in 1967. An
interesting and very rare travel narrative which Streeter calls: “One of
the best accounts of a flat boatman’s return overland....” Goodspeed’s paid $900 for the Streeter copy, which is now at the
Cincinnati Public Library. |
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Papers
on Book Collecting by William S. Reese
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Questions or comments?Write us at amorder@reeseco.com |
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