The Yosemite Guide-Book: A Description of the Yosemite Valley and the Adjacent Region of the Sierra Nevada, and of the Big Trees of California by Whitney, J. D - 1874

Octavo (9 1/4 x 7 inches) Cambridge: Welch, Bigelow, & Co.: Published by Authority of the Legislature, 1870. First Trade Edition, Second Printing. 155 pages, illustrated with engraved cuts of scenery throughout the text, and eight full page engraved plates with protective tissue guards; maps in pockets missing.

Original green cloth trade binding, decorated with a map of the Sierra and surrounding country stamped in gilt on the front cover; and similarly, a logo of the Geological Survey team with their equipment stamped in gilt on the back cover; title in gilt on spine.

Good condition, showing the results of being carried in a pocket or ruck sack (the covers and corners of the fragile binding show some wear; lower right corner of front cover appears to have been bent). Inscription of previous owner dated "July 4, 1889, (In camp under the Royal Arches, Yosemite)" on front fly leaf, light pencil notation on a few pages not affecting text or illustrations, contents clean and intact; ticket of the… Read More

Sacramento: Authority of the Legislature. Fair with no dust jacket. 1869. Hardcover. Original gilt-titled cloth, brown endpages. First reprint edition, without original photos but with a slightly expanded text of the first edition of 1868. Only one folding map present, with tape repairs to folds: "Map of the portion of the Sierra Nevada adjacent to the Yosemite Valley." All 8 tissued plates present. Hinges cracked, lower board mottled, points exposed, cloth at spine loose. Rear endpage edgeworn. Mild scattered foxing, the occasional minor stain to pages. ; 8vo 8" - 9" tall; 155 pages .

Geological Survey of California, 1874. 186 pages, plus four maps. Maps include the color folding frontispiece, the large b/w folding map in rear pocket, the fold out map adjacent to page 84, and the single page map adjacent to page 153. Dark green cloth covers with black and gilt stamped lettering/decoration. All edges are gilded. Covers show a few light and small scuffs, as well as light wear at spine ends and corners. Penciled presentation inscription on blank front fly leaf from C. G. Hooker. Frontispiece folding map has been a little misfolded, with the outer margin showing edge wear (not affecting map). Folding map in rear pocket has small tears at folds, but is overall in very good condition. Other than the stated faults, this is a tight, crisp, and very clean copy. . New Edition, Revised and Corrected. Cloth - Hardcover. Good+/No Dust Jacket. 12mo.

[Cambridge, Mass.]:: Published by Authority of the Legislature,, 1874.. New Edition, Revised and Corrected, with Four Maps.. publisher's rose cloth stamped in gold and black; a.e.g.. Faint 19th c. oval private library blind-embossed stamp on title page; cloth sunned and with a light dampstain around the edges of the rear board, which has transferred to the edges of the folded map and portions of the text block. . 12mo,. Illustrated with four maps, including large folding map in pocket at rear..

Cambridge, MA: University Press: Welch, Bigelow, & Co., 1870. Book. Poor. Hardcover. First Trade Edition.. 155 pages, 8vo. Very Scarce. First Trade Edition, following the Limited Edition of 250 copies. Includes one of the two large fold-out maps, found within pouch attached to back cover: Map of a Portion of the sierra Nevada adjacent to the Yosemite Valley. Map is in very poor condition, with many tears, some pieces are detached, tanning and foxing. Bound in original green cloth boards with gilt lettering along spine, gilt map on front cover. Heavy shelfwear: scuffing along edges and cover boards, pages are detached from the spine, very delicate and weak binding, foxing and tanning on page leafs, previous owner has pasted a title on seond page leaf. Volume is in Poor condition..

Published By Authority of the Legislature. Very Good. 1870. First Trade Edition; Second Printing. Hardcover. Rebound in modern half leather and marbled boards with new pastedowns and endpapers; includes two folded maps as called for and beautiful woodcuts. "Map of Yosemite Valley" measures 19" x 28" and was engraved and printed by Julius Bien; map has light foxing and toning, and a few small closed tears at folds. "Map of a portion of the Sierra Nevada" measures 14 ¾" x 21" and has been professionally repaired with archival backing, reinforcing tears, and has light foxing and soiling. Maps are housed in rear pocket. Boards are clean; text block has light foxing, and a few leaves have moderate soiling. From Currey and Kruska: "The most influential publications of the California Geological Survey were the series of Yosemite guide books between 1869 and 1874. These publications were intended to serve as tourist guides to the Yosemite region… Read More

Cambridge: Welch, Bigelow, & Co., 1870. First trade edition, second printing (after the limited, and prohibitively expensive, edition of 250 copies, all containing original photographs). Octavo (9 x 6 1/2 inches). 155, [1] pp. Title page printed in red and black. Illustrated with eight wood-engraved plates after photographs by Carleton Watkins, smaller woodcuts in text. Two folding maps, one in each pocket (one map is of Yosemite Valley and the other is of the area adjacent to Yosemite Valley). Publisher's green cloth, spine with elaborate gilt frame forming lettering from the cloth, front cover with a gilt map of Yosemite and rear cover with gilt emblem of the Geological Survey, brown endpapers. Minor toning to endpapers, small amount of wear to spine extremities. Minor aging to maps but still very clean and nice. A very good and clean copy of this first guidebook to Yosemite.Farquhar 7c. Currey & Kruska 61.