Ives, Lieutenant Joseph C.
Report upon the Colorado River of the West, explored in 1857 and 1858 by Lieutenant Joseph C.Ives, Corps of Topographical Engineers...
Washington; Government Printing Office: 1861. Senate issue. One of the finest of the Western travelogues, and one of the best illustrated. This was the first study of the Colorado River, and is one of the most desirable books on the River, its canyons and exploration. Ives was sent West to explore the navigability of the Colorado and, as usual, to check out the natives and landscape. The engraved and lithographed views are spectacular, and the 7 chromolithographed plates of Native Americans are also quite extraordinary. In addition, the Geological Report by J.S. Newberry is worth noting as a detailed and fascinating account of the formations and their geology; there are three lithographed plates of fossils. Of additional interest, the frontispiece shows the expedition traveling downstream on their steam-powered flatboat! Hardcover. 9.5"x12", 131 + 14 + 154 + 30 + 32 pages; with b/w illustrations in the text, plus 2 folding maps; 11 engravings and lithographs of scenery; a profile plate of the route; 7 chromolithographed plates of Indians; 3 lithographs of scenery and 3 of fossils; lacks, as is so often the case, the two additional maps in the Geological section. Original blindstamped covers with a gilt decoration of the steamboat; bookplate; some mild internal soil and toning to page edges, minor offsetting; front hinge apparently reglued; the most serious defect of this very nice copy in the original binding is that folding Topographical Plate 7 is inserted twice -once where it should be and once where #2 should be; and #2 isn't there at all.
$850.00
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