Black Hawk and Scenes in the West by A Western Tourist (Smith, Elbert) - 1848

New York: Edward Kearny, 1848. 1848. Hardcover. Good. Small 8vo. Pp. viii, 299. Frontis. engraved portrait of Black Hawk. Engraved half-title vignette. Bound in elaborate blindstamped ribbed cloth. Decorated endpapers. Scattered, heavy foxing to preliminaries, some soiling to several pages. Lacking tissue guard. Dust soiling to top edge. Contemporary owner name on front free-endpapers, two other contemporary names in pencil on rear free-endpapers. Wear to binding, notably tail of spine and rear joint. An elaborate re-working of the author's prior effort, The History of Black Hawk, published in Milwaukee, 1846. Despite detracting qualities, a sturdy copy.

New York: Published by the Author, 1849. Second Edition. Hardcover. Very Good. 12mo, 299 pages, original embossed black cloth, extra-gilt spine, tips of spine worn, tight, minor foxing. 'Embracing an account of the life and exploits of this celebrated chieftain; the Black Hawk war; a legend of the Illinois Tribe of Indians, showing the manner in which they became extinct; a succinct description of the Wisconsin and Lake Superior Countries, and their rich minerals; the Massacre of Chicago, and other deeply interesting scenes in The West.' - Sabin 82462. Lathrop Harper noted it was the first work of verse by a Wisconsin writer. [Brinley 6896 Field 1001]. Handsome chromolithographed frontispiece portrait of Black Hawk, and of Gen. Zachary Taylor (not included in the 1848 edition). "This comprehensive treatise portrays things as they were in the early settlement of Wisconsin and Northern Illinois, when civilization first dawned upon the beautiful forests and prairies, and the cultivation… Read More

New York: Edward Kearny, 1848. First edition. Hardcover. Good. 12mo, 299 pages, original embossed cloth, tips of spine worn, tight. 'Embracing an account of the life and exploits of this celebrated chieftain; the Black Hawk war; a legend of the Illinois Tribe of Indians, showing the manner in which they became extinct; a succinct description of the Wisconsin and Lake Superior Countries, and their rich minerals; the Massacre of Chicago, and other deeply interesting scenes in The West.' - Sabin 82462. Ex llibris Frank B. Cornell. Edgeworn, tips of spine worn, Lathrop Harper noted it was the first work of verse by a Wisconsin writer. [Brinley 6896 Field 1001]. Lithographed frontispiece portrait of Black Hawk, and a title-page.