Wonders of Yosemite Valley, and of California: With original photographic illustrations, by John P. Soule. Third edition, revised and enlarged.

Boston: Alexander Moore, 1872. Third edition. Octavo (10 5/16 x 6 3/4 inches; 262 x 172 mm). [iii]-xii, 13-98, [2, blank] pp. (Preliminaries are incorrectly numbered in all editions.) Complete with ten mounted albumen photographs by Soule of scenes in Yosemite, with tissue guards, and three wood-engraved text illustrations relating to Giant Sequoias, and two engraved maps. Text and photographs ruled in red.

Original publisher's green pebble-grain cloth over bevelled boards with front cover and spine decoratively stamped and lettered in gilt and black and rear cover decoratively stamped in blind. All edges gilt. Previous owner's small bookplate on front pastedown, over older bookplate that has been partial removed. Minimal rubbing to extremities. Previous owner's pencil drawings on front and back endpapers dated 1884. Pencil lines through the paper in a small area. A very clean and bright copy.

"Kneeland [1821-1888], a professor of zoology and physiology and secretary of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology from its founding in 1865 until 1878, produced one of the better guide books to the Yosemite region. It is an especially attractive book due to the inclusion of an excellent series of mounted photographic images. The book is based on the author's first visit to Yosemite Valley in July 1870. In addition to serving as a guide book, it forms a narrative of his trip from Boston to Yosemite and return. Kneeland made every effort to obtain current and accurate information and each of the later editions of the guide incorporates new material. The second edition adds ‘The Yosemite in 1872' and ‘The Recent Earthquake in Yosemite.' Though not identified by name, the account of the 1872 earthquake and much of ‘The Yosemite in 1872' is based on information indirectly supplied by John Muir. It is the first appearance of Muir's writings in a book" (Currey & Kruska).

Cowan, p. 333 (third edition). Currey & Kruska 225. Farquhar 10b. Kimes & Kimes 3, 5, 7, and 8. Rocq 5217.

HBS 64799.

$1,500.