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Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. History of the Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, to the Source...
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Description
An exceptional unsophisticated copy in a contemporary binding
Meriwether Lewis and William Clark. History of the
Expedition under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clark, to the
Sources of the Missouri, thence across the Rocky Mountains and down
the River Columbia to the Pacific Ocean. Performed during the years
1804-5-6. Philadelphia: [by J. Maxwell at New York for]
Bradford and Inskeep, 1814.2 volumes, 8vo (213 x 131 mm). Large folding engraved "Map of Lewis and Clark's Track Across the Western Portion of North America" engraved by Samuel Harrison after Clark, 5 other engraved plates and maps. Contemporary American tree sheep, ruled and numbered in gilt on spine, red morocco spine labels; cloth slipcase.
FIRST EDITION OF THE "MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL OVERLAND NARRATIVES," AND THE "DEFINITIVE ACCOUNT OF THE MOST IMPORTANT EXPLORATION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN CONTINENT" (Wagner-Camp), including a prefatory "Life of Captain Lewis" by President Jefferson. The expedition, commissioned by Jefferson and funded by Congress in early 1803 (it cost all of USD 2,500), was the first exploration officially sponsored by the Federal government. The acquisition of Louisiana Territory, finalized in December of the same year, increased the importance and urgency of the expedition, which set out from St. Louis in May 1804 and covered 8000 miles in the next 2 1/2 years, crossing the Rocky Mountains and reaching the mouth of the Columbia River before returning by the same route. The extremely accurate and detailed map, based on Clark's manuscript, was termed by Wheat the "master map of the American West" (quoted in Cohen). The remarkable cartographic achievement, perhaps even more than the written account of the journey, served to impel and motivate the nation's inexorable westward expansion.
Publication of Lewis's and Clark's account of the epic expedition was delayed by the appointments of both leaders to official positions in the new Louisiana Territory (Lewis as territorial Governor and Clark as Superintendent of Indian Affairs), and later by Lewis's murder or suicide in 1809. This "most important of all overland narratives" (Grolier) was finally brought to press but a high proportion of the copies issued in this first printing, which is replete with errors, apparently lacked the folding map or were otherwise defective.
Condition: Binding with minor wear to spine ends and corners; spines slightly rubbed; Vol. I with two surface scrapes/gouges on rear cover. Large map with one tear discreetly repaired along gutter margin where inserted, a few short splits along folds at margins, several minor pinholes at fold intersections, some light foxing or spotting; plates with some pale spotting or minor stains. A little foxing offset onto title-page from folded map; some light foxing or toning; occasional minor spotting or stains. Overall, a very fine copy, with less than the usual foxing and browning that characterizes the majority of copies encountered on the market.
References: Church 1309; Coe p. 22 ("must ever remain the basis of a collection of western books"); Cohen, Mapping the West 7; Graff 2477; Grolier, American 30; Howes L-317; PMM 272; Sabin 40828; Streeter sale III:1777; Streeter, Americana Beginnings 52; Wagner-Camp-Beck 13:1.
Provenance: New Hampshire Historical Society (early gift inscription on upper margin of each title: "Presented to the N. H. Historical Society by Mrs. Haines"); Concord Historical Society (blindstamp on upper right margin of each title-page and following leaf); John Holmes (booklabels); purchased from Heritage Book Shop, Inc., Los Angeles. From the William A. Strutz Library.
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Auction Info
2024 June 27 Important English and American Literature: The William A. Strutz Library, Part I, Rare Books Signature® Auction #6295 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
June, 2024
27th
Thursday
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