This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/21/2024
[CALIFORNIANA AND NEW MEXICO]. ABERT, James W. (1820-1897). Report of Lieut. J. W. Abert, of his Examination of New Mexico in the Years 1846-’47 [And] COOKE, Philip St. George (1809-1895). Report of Col. P. St. George Cooke of His March from Santa Fe, New Mexico, to San Diego, Upper California [And] JOHNSTON, Abraham Robinson (ca 1815-1846). Journal of Captain A.R. Johnston, First Dragoons. [Extracts from: EMORY, William. Notes of a Military Reconnaissance. 30th Congress, 1st Session. House Executive Document, no. 41. Serial 517. [Washington, D. C.: Wendell and van Benthuysen, 1848]]. 8vo. Illustrated with 24 lithographed plates in the Abert section and 11 intertextual illustrations in the Johnston section; with fold-out map of the New Mexico territory (loose but present) and the fold-out map of Cooke’s route to the Pacific Ocean. [417, sic]-614, [2, blank] pp. Approximately 8 ½ x 5 ½”. Bound in contemporary half brown calf over red marbled boards, spine ruled and lettered in gilt (rebacked preserving most of the original spine, some wear to boards and corners, front hinge and a few gutters cracking, some offsetting to endleaves, occasional foxing or thumbsoiling in text). Very good. FIRST EDITIONS, House issue. INSCRIBED BY THE AUTHOR’S FATHER on the first text leaf: “Md. Hist. Society from Col. Abert.” With the bookplate of the Maryland Historical Society on the fp, offsetting from that bookplate on the ffep, and their inkstamp on the recto and verso of the first text leaf). FIRST ISSUE OF THE FIRST PRINTED MAP OF NEW MEXICO made public by the War Department (lacks the name of the lithographer; see Streeter I:168). An excellent association: Lt. James Abert’s father, Col. John James Abert (1788-1863) was in charge of the mapping of the American West in his capacity of the chief of the Corps of Topographical Engineers for 32 years. His son, who made the report on New Mexico, was also a member of that corps, as well as a combat veteran of several battles of the Civil War.