Narrative of the Festivities Observed in Honor of the Completion of the Grand Erie Canal, Uniting the Waters of the Great Western Lakes with the Atlantic Ocean. Begun at Buffalo by Stone, William Leete - 1825

New York: (Corporation of the City of New York), 1825. 4to. 250 mx 200 mm. (10 x 8 inches). [2]. pp. 293-334. Illustrated with a lithographic portrait of William Stone by Anthony Imbert, engraved folding map of the canal route from the Atlantic to Lake Eire, 8 lithographic views by Imbert of the canal route and its construction, 5 engraved portraits by A. B. Durand, 7 lithographic facsimiles of original document by Imbert. Bound in contemporary red morocco spine and tips, over marbled paper boards; spine scuffed but sound and attractive; some of the usual light foxing throughout. Presentation inscription dated May 25th, 1855 from James R. Woodbridge to Roderick Lawrence. Separate printing of the William L. Stone's Narrative which recounts the celebrations of the opening of the Erie Canal that first appeared in Cadwallader Colden's Memoir printed earlier in 1825. Stone's Narrative was "prepared for the Committee of the Corporation of the City of New York" and privately distributed in a limited number of copies. This is one of the earliest books printed in New York to be illustrated with lithographs. Antony Imbert, "a pioneer lithographer" was the second lithographer to set up shop and his lithographs are highly sought after as early examples of art in America. His portrait of Stone and the eight views of the canal route are beautifully produced and are rich and highly toned examples of his art. An article that appears in the Proceedings of the American Antiquarian Society, April 1922, has a profile of Imbert and cites a notice which written by William Dunlap in his History of the Arts of Design (1835) which says that Imbert lithographic studio is the first that he had encountered in New York. Harry Peters writes, "The place of honor undoubtedly goes to the illustrations in what is commonly called, 'Colden's Canal Book' which documents the triumphal progress of a canal boat from Buffalo to New York in 1825. This work also contains engraved portraits by the Hudson River painter, A. B. Durand, who began his career with Peter Maverick as an engravers' assistant. Before taking up painting Durand was considered one of America's finest engravers. The folding map of the canal route is printed from three plates on three leaves and pasted together to create to kind of panorama of the Erie Canal from Buffalo to the Hudson. Sabin 92149. Peter, America on Stone pp. 228-235. (309).