[TRAVEL & EXPLORATION]. FOGG, William Perry (1826–1909). “Round the World.” Letters from Japan, China, India, and Egypt. Cleveland, OH: N.p., 1872.
8vo. 28 unmounted albumen plates (18 photographs, 10 engravings). Original half brown morocco gilt, upper cover blocked with large centrally–placed gilt globe, spine in 5 compartments with raised bands, gilt–lettered in the second, third and fourth compartments, remainder with repeat decoration in blind (extremities scuffed or rubbed).
FIRST EDITION, PRESENTATION COPY INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR on the title–page to George O. Baslington, business owner of the oil refinery Hanna, Baslington & Company that was later sold to John D. Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Company. Fogg was an American adventurer whose travels were publicized by the publishing of his letters in The Cleveland Leader. He was soon the inspiration for Jules Verne’s character Phileas Fogg in the 1873 novel Around the World in 80 Days. In 1870, Fogg traveled by train from Cleveland to San Francisco via Salt Lake City where he interviewed Brigham Young and reported Mormon activity. From there he boarded a Pacific Mail Steamer to Japan and would soon become one of the first Americans to travel through the interior of Japan. According to the preface, Fogg states that this volume was not intended for public sale but for personal friends and was published before his return resulting in minor errors that were corrected by the original owner with his corrections. OCLC 510794; Smith F45.