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California in 1851 - 1852 The Letters of Dame Shirley; [The Shirley Letters in two volumes] Introduction and notes by Carl I. Wheat

California in 1851 - 1852 The Letters of Dame Shirley; [The Shirley Letters in two volumes] Introduction and notes by Carl I. Wheat

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California in 1851 - 1852 The Letters of Dame Shirley; [The Shirley Letters in two volumes] Introduction and notes by Carl I. Wheat

by Clappe, Louise [Dame Shirley]

  • Used
  • very good
  • first
Condition
Very Good/Very Good
Seller
Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Sebastopol, California, United States
Item Price
$252.00
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About This Item

San Francisco: The Grabhorn Press, 1933. First Edition. Very Good/Very Good. limited to 500, in two volumes 1851 [Number 5, Rare America Series] and 1852 [Number 6, Rare American Series], 8vo, [9x6in]; Vol. I - [2], xviii, [1], 142, [6], [2], Vol. II - [2], xviii, [1], 143, [6], [3], 24 black/white and blue toned illustrations and map, Introduction and Retrospective by Carl Wheat; Dark blue cloth backstrip with gray-blue paper boards, dark blue lettering and line designs on front, spine paper label with black lettering for both volumes, top edge trimmed and others untrimmed; Light tan dust jackets with black lettering narrative about the Rare America Series on front; Vol. I & II boards age toned along edges, darken age toning to front and rear end papers of both volumes, bookplate of Frank Howard Abbott, Jr. on front end paper in both volumes with some offset, tipped in illustration of miners in a saloon on pale blue paper with Grabhorn address; Dust jackets age toned and fragile with chips and closed tears at edges and spine, archival tape repairs to stabilize, darkened spine. A foundational work in Gold rush literature with rare dust jacket. [Kurutz 133b, Wheat Gold Rush Books 39, Adams 425, Howell 1307, Volkmann Zamorano 80 69b, The Grabhorn Bibliography 178 & 179]. Louise Amelia Knapp Smith Clappe [1819-1906] accompanied her husband on the ship Manilla to California in 1849. Fayette and Louise were in their 30's and wanted an adventure. After staying in San Francisco, they moved to Rich Bar on the Feather River in 1851. Louise was not shy or reserved, and she was a keen observer of the rough gold miners life. Between September 1851 to November 1852, she wrote 23 letters to her sister Molly [Mary] describing her time in the mountains. They were first published in 'The Pioneer' magazine (1854 to 1855) under the pseudonym of "Dame Shirley". In 1922, they were republished in 'The Shirley Letters from California Mines, 1851-52', edited by Thomas Russell and became one of the best first hand accounts of the mining camps. This book is a reprint of the original Pioneer magazine printing with an introduction and notes by Carl Wheat. From Kurutz, "The Shirley Letters have received the highest possible praise. The importance of her letters was recognized early on and influenced the views and writing of Josiah Royce, Hubert Howe Bancroft, Bret Harte, and possibly, Samuel Clemens. Carl Wheat wrote, 'These superlatively readable and informative letters ... may well be accorded first place in any gathering of notable Gold Rush literature.

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Details

Bookseller
David Spilman Fine Books, ABAA & IOBA US (US)
Bookseller's Inventory #
13637
Title
California in 1851 - 1852 The Letters of Dame Shirley; [The Shirley Letters in two volumes] Introduction and notes by Carl I. Wheat
Author
Clappe, Louise [Dame Shirley]
Book Condition
Used - Very Good
Jacket Condition
Very Good
Quantity Available
1
Edition
First Edition
Publisher
The Grabhorn Press
Place of Publication
San Francisco
Date Published
1933
Keywords
Carl Wheat, California, Gold Rush, Zamarano 80
Bookseller catalogs
Adventure;
Note
May be a multi-volume set and require additional postage.

Terms of Sale

David Spilman Fine Books, ABAA & IOBA

All items offered online or in catalogues are subject to prior sale. Trade discount for most items is available and may be limited for consignment items. We will also accept checks that are cleared prior to shipping or invoice clients known to us. 30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives or damaged or not as described. Buyer will be responsible for return shipping, unless item is not as described

About the Seller

David Spilman Fine Books, ABAA & IOBA

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2018
Sebastopol, California

About David Spilman Fine Books, ABAA & IOBA

David Spilman Fine Books, ABAA & IOBA is an online bookseller specializing in fine books, maps, publications, and ephemera related to Exploration, Adventure and World History with a focus on the Polar Regions, California and the American West. A particular interest is in the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration from 1895 to 1920's. Other areas of interest are in the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, and a little bit of this and that.

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Edges
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Bookplate
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