Travels in North America during the years 1834, 1835 & 1836 by SOLD - * * Murray, The Hon. Charles Augustus - 1839: Including a Summer Residence with the Pawnee Tribe of Indians in the Remote Prairies of the Missouri, and a Visit to Cuba, and the Azore Islands"

Octavo (9 x 6 inches) Richmond, Virginia: Jones & Cook, 1880. 92 pages, six unnumbered leaves of illustrations (one of them a foldout map "Showing Transportation Facilities of Richmond, VA"), numerous local advertisements, an index of the advertisers that includes four booksellers, among tobacco leaf dealers, horse collar manufacturers, and many other trades and services. Good condition (original decorated printed wrappers beginning to separate, but still holding, minor chipping, not affecting contents).

A promotional directory of public buildings and landmarks, with a history of the city.

Under "Trade Notes," a paragraph for "Books, Binding &c." states, "The Booksellers of Richmond are all gentlemen of superior intelligence, and of long experience, possessing a critical knowledge of books, and a thorough familiarity with the needs of the scholar, professional man, and the general public."

Small quarto (11 x 8 1/4 inches) Published in the Interest of the Firemen's Relief Fund, December 1900. 116 pages of half tone black and white photos of early Los Angeles, portraits, and advertisements for Los Angeles businesses of the period.

Descriptive text includes a short history of the Los Angeles Fire Department: "In May, 1875, Engine Company No. 2 was organized."

Good condition: original red cloth binding, showing mild age toning, title on front cover, floral patterned end papers.

Many photos of early Los Angeles fire stations, with horse drawn equipment.

Portraits include: the mayor, the Fire Commissioners back to 1871, Chiefs, Captains, Lieutenants, Engine Drivers, Engineers, Hosemen, and Ladder men.

Advertisements include breweries, hardware supplies, saloons, blacksmiths, and stables among many others.

Large quarto (14 X 10 1/2 inches) San Francisco: David Magee, 1967. One of 475 copies printed by Robert Grabhorn & Andrew Hoyem. 171 pages printed on heavy wove paper, quarter bound brick red leather with title in gilt on the spine, patterned paper over boards, hardcover - very good condition (minor scuffing at head and tale of spine from shelf wear, not affecting contents).

Illustrated with 60 plates - full size reproductions showing examples of California Gold Rush letter sheets - one facsimile is in a pocket at the rear of the book. Also included: a selective bibliography; an index of artists, engravers, lithographers, and publishers; and a subject and title index.

A checklist and census of artists and printers who produced "... thousands of vivid pictorial records on sheets of writing paper, (that) remain the major surviving visual account of California of that era....," both during and after the California Gold Rush.

"A . . . curious blend of local enthusiasm and topical recording ...… Read More

Octavo (8 3/4 X 5 3/4 inches) Philadelphia: Printed For Gratuitous Distribution, 1863. Original First Edition. 16 page sewn paper pamphlet in wrappers, minor discoloration to edges of covers, old $2 price, and old library call numbers written in pencil on top of front cover, old 15 cent price, and calculation figures not related to text written in pencil on back cover, contents clean and unaffected.

In this pamphlet, Judge Leavitt states his reasons (based on historical fact and the Constitution) for his ruling that denied a writ of habeas corpus for the defendant C. L. Vallandigham; leader of the "Peace Democrats," and Supreme Commander of the "Sons of Liberty."

The accused was charged with "mischievous disloyalty" in his opinions and statements; and subsequently arrested at the orders of General Burnside. Lincoln became involved when, in May of 1863, he wrote to Stanton stating that suspension of habeas corpus, as Stanton wanted, would not be necessary in this case.

Lincoln is not referred to in… Read More

16 mo. (6 7/8 X 4 1/4 inches) Mobile: S. H. Goetzel, 1865. Fifth Edition - Fortieth Thousand. 48 pages, bound in original stiff sewn wrappers which are formed from inverted wallpaper, woodcut illustrations on the cover, and title page, including one showing a man and woman operating a large printing press. Very good condition (minor age toning to covers, not affecting contents). Crandall 4040

An early juvenile, in remarkably good condition, published in the Confederacy; where resources were scarce. "Under the present circumstances, the scarcity of materials is in itself a safeguard against a fruitless competition in the publishing business; but it is not the publisher's mission to depend upon physical incidents...."

This used paperback book is in very good condition. The pages are clean and neat. The binding is tight. The boards are clean inside and out.

12 mo. (6 x 4 inches) San Francisco: Marvin & Hitchcock, 1852. First Edition. 2 [v]-viii, 258 pages, original quarter blind tooled red roan, good condition, cloth boards, with wear to lower spine (lower left hinge on front cover split, but holding), gilt title at head of spine, publishers name in gilt at foot of spine, original cloth boards showing evidence of old moisture splash or spill, minor foxing on preliminary and last leaves; contents clean, intact and unaffected. Old library label beneath old inked inscription "Placed in Library because of California history contained in the (the last word is un-readable)" on front pastedown.

A fine unsophisticated example. The Norris catalogue refers to it as "The first text-book published in San Francisco."

An observation attributed to Cowan refers to it as "... the first educational work published in California after American rule." The last 12 pages are titled "Geography, History, and Present Condition of California."

Marvin and Hitchcock were San… Read More

Small quarto (11 x 8 1/4 inches) Published in the Interest of the Firemen's Relief Fund, December 1900. 116 pages of half tone black and white photos of early Los Angeles, portraits, and advertisements for Los Angeles businesses of the period.

Descriptive text includes a short history of the Los Angeles Fire Department: "In May, 1875, Engine Company No. 2 was organized."

Good condition: original red cloth binding, showing mild age toning, title on front cover, floral patterned end papers.

Many photos of early Los Angeles fire stations, with horse drawn equipment.

Portraits include: the mayor, the Fire Commissioners back to 1871, Chiefs, Captains, Lieutenants, Engine Drivers, Engineers, Hosemen, and Ladder men.

Advertisements include breweries, hardware supplies, saloons, blacksmiths, and stables among many others.

16 mo. (6 7/8 X 4 1/4 inches) Mobile: S. H. Goetzel, 1865. Fifth Edition - Fortieth Thousand. 48 pages, bound in original stiff sewn wrappers which are formed from inverted wallpaper, woodcut illustrations on the cover, and title page, including one showing a man and woman operating a large printing press. Very good condition (minor age toning to covers, not affecting contents). Crandall 4040

An early juvenile, in remarkably good condition, published in the Confederacy; where resources were scarce. "Under the present circumstances, the scarcity of materials is in itself a safeguard against a fruitless competition in the publishing business; but it is not the publisher's mission to depend upon physical incidents...."

Quarto (12 by 9 1/2 inches) San Francisco: John H. Carmany and Company, 1874. Original First Edition. 319 + v pages, hardcover, bound in original green pebble cloth, with title in gilt on spine, and gilt vignette of a seal on upper front cover; 27 lithographic plates drawn by the author, and printed by Britton and Rey, plus many other fine lithographs (a few drawn by another hand) of whaling equipment, seals, dolphins and porpoises. Neat nineteenth century inked gift inscription on front fly leaf; minor normal shelf wear (not affecting the overall content, or binding that are both in very good condition); index.

"This book is the classic work on whales and seals along the Pacific coast. Captain Scammon began his whaling career soon after his arrival in California in 1852. His carefully prepared work is the most comprehensive book on the subject, and he investigated all the then known species of Cetacea as well as the Pinnipedia. His text on the whale fishery takes up the last hundred plus pages of… Read More