HISTORY OF THE INDIAN TRIBES OF NORTH AMERICA, WITH BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES AND ANECDOTES OF THE PRINCIPAL CHIEFS, EMBELLISHED WITH ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY PORTRAITS, FROM THE INDIAN GALLERY IN THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR, AT WASHINGTO

Philadelphia: Published by D. Rice & A.N. Hart, 1858. Three volumes. [2],iv,3-333; xvii,9-290; iv,17-392 pp., plus 120 handcolored lithographic plates. Large octavo. Publisher's brown morocco, covers elaborately blocked in blind, spines gilt in six compartments with raised bands, lettered in gilt in the second and fourth, the others ruled in blind with repeat decoration of a simple leaf tool, a.e.g. Very light wear to corners, joints, and spine ends. Older ownership inscription on front pastedown of each volume. Scattered soiling, light tanning, an occasional light fox mark. Very good. The fourth octavo edition of McKenney and Hall's classic work, after the first octavo edition of 1848-50 and the sumptuous large folio format produced in 1836-44. The plates for the first four octavo editions were all produced by the same lithographer, J.T. Bowen, and retain the high quality of printing and coloring of the plates found in the first edition.

McKenney, the superintendent of Indian Affairs, and James Hall, the famous Cincinnati author, joined forces to create the Indian Gallery in the 1830s. Hall supplied the text, while the Indian Bureau commissioned artist Charles Bird King to paint portraits of the leading Indian chiefs, either from life or by repainting the earlier, cruder attempts of James Otto Lewis. The result was a spectacular series of images, certainly the best series of such portraits to be produced.

A classic Americanum, increasingly hard to find in nice condition. HOWES M129. SABIN 43410a. BENNETT, p.79 (ref). FIELD 992. REESE, BEST OF THE WEST 68 (ref).