$47,500
Philadelphia: Bradford and Inskeep, 1814. 2 vols. 8vo, rebound in modern 3/4 brown calf over marbled boards, gilt-lettered spine. First edition. Complete with five plates and original large fold-out map of Lewis and Clark's route across the country at the rear of volume one. This first edition of Lewis & Clark's narrative is "the definitive account of the most important exploration of the North American Continent" (Wagner-Camp). The expedition was funded by Congress after the Louisiana Purchase for the purpose of establishing trade ties with the Native Americans of the Western region of the United States. The publication of this narrative was delayed due to both Lewis and Clark receiving commissions in the Louisiana Territory as Governor and Superintendent of Indian Affairs, respectively, and due to Lewis's unexpected death in 1809. In tribute, Thomas Jefferson wrote a Life of Captain Lewis which appears at the beginning of volume one. Nicholas Biddle was employed to edit the work, which was ultimately completed by Paul Allen in 1814. According to Church, of the 2000 copies printed at least 583 were lost or destroyed and not all copies were issued with the large folding map. Originally drawn by Clark, the map is widely considered the best depiction of the West in its day. Light edgewear; renewed endpapers; ex-library copy with Boston College stamp to verso of fold-out map, rear of vol. 1; intermittent foxing and brownspotting; darkening to some leaves; few examples of pe Read more…
Auctioneer:
Leslie Hindman Auctioneers
Date:
2015-08-05
