4 242 résultats
185834811Washington DC: House of Representatives 1858. Map. Good. Disbound wraps. 8 pages of text. Text is detached from the maps. Illustrated with three large folding map and plans: 29" x 20" Plan of the "Lattice Pivot Bridge"; 34" x 26" Map showing the location of the Louisville Portland Canal along the Ohio River; 28" x 21" Plan of the Lift Lock. Maps are loose. Tears and chips outside the borders on the far edges of the folding maps. A few small pin holes at the map folded intersections.<br /> <br /> From wikipedia:<br /> <br /> The Louisville and Portland Canal was a 1.9-mile 3.1 km1 canal bypassing the Falls of the Ohio River at Louisville Kentucky. The Falls form the only barrier to navigation between the origin of the Ohio at Pittsburgh and the port of New Orleans near the Gulf of Mexico; circumventing them was long a goal for Pennsylvanian and Cincinnatian merchants.2 The canal opened in 1830 as the private Louisville and Portland Canal Company but was gradually bought out during the 19th century by the federal government which had invested heavily in its construction maintenance and improvement.<br /> <br /> The Louisville and Portland Canal was renamed as the McAlpine Locks and Dam in 1962 after extensive modernization.3 The name "Louisville and Portland Canal" or simply "Portland Canal" is still used to refer to the canal itself which runs between the Kentucky bank and Shippingport Island from about 10th Street down to the locks at 27th Street.<br /> <br /> The canal was the first major improvement to be completed on a major river of the United States.4. House of Representatives unknown
ZZ90460-011Original preparatory drawing ontwerptekening of the coat of arms of the La Rivière family. Size 205 x 185 mm. unknown
1710252472London: John Morphew 1710. Second edition of vol. I first edition of vol. II. Frontispiece in vol. I. ii vi 246; xvi 380 pp. 1 vols. 8vo. Contemporary panelled calf vol. I rebacked preserving most of original black morocco label corners repaired hinges strengthened. Bookseller's ticket on rear pastedown. Vol. II with later spine label binding rubbed. Second edition of vol. I first edition of vol. II. Frontispiece in vol. I. ii vi 246; xvi 380 pp. 1 vols. 8vo. This famous attack scandalized virtually every member of the Whig Party and led to Mrs. Manley's arrest. A friend and collaborator of Swift's she succeeded him as editor of The Examiner and exercised some influence on Defoe. ESTC N47961; ESTC T106837 John Morphew unknown
1794ABC_47826Paraguay and/or Brazil 1794. 34 x 22 cm. Stitched through 2 single holes only one remains intact. Written in brown ink in a very legible late 18th-century cursive. 1 1 blank 12 2 blank pp. A contemporary unpublished and unrecorded Portuguese manuscript describing the Paraguay River and the lands rivers and territories adjoining including the location of former Jesuit Missions. It is written within the context of the Portuguese-Spanish dispute over the frontier between Portuguese Brazil and the Spanish colonies and focuses in particular on the upper reaches of the river which at that time still remained relatively unknown. The Portuguese under the governorship of Luis de Albuquerque 1739-97 had recently in 1778 established the towns of Albuquerque today Corumbá Laredo Villa María today Cáceres Casalvasco and Salinas. These new establishments and their locations on the Paraguay River are mentioned here. The terms of the 1777 Treaty of San Ildefonso between Portugal and Spain directed that a Portuguese-Spanish delegation be sent to the Paraguay River region to determine a definitive border between the territories. The Spanish delegation arrived in 1781 under the command of the military officer and naturalist Félix Manuel de Azara 1746-1821 and waited in Asunción in Paraguay for the Portuguese. The latter in the end never arrived but the Spanish delegation remained in the region until the 1790s Azara until 1801 exploring and measuring the region as well as handling the ongoing disagreements with the Portuguese over the demarcation. This Portuguese description of the River Paraguay is undoubtedly connected to these ventures though whether it is a contemporary translation into Portuguese of a Spanish survey or a survey of the river carried out by the Portuguese themselves is uncertain. It is however the only known copy of an unpublished description of the River Paraguay and it describes in detail the little-known upper regions of the Paraguay River.With a crossed-out annotation on the title-page the title-page and the last blank leaf are somewhat water stained. The paper is otherwise uniformly toned and showing some occasional foxing the edges of the leaves are somewhat frayed slightly affecting the text at the head of each page. Overall in good condition. unknown
188760494Salem OR: n.p. 1887. 8vo. 6 2 pp. Self-printed softcovers & title minor shelfwear dustsoiling still a VG bright copy from the library of Caroline Augusta Gray Kamm 1840-1932 noted socialite and philanthropist in Portland built home for poor women & girls with the YWCA and was daughter of PNW pioneer William H. Gray 1810-1889 who traveled to the Lapwai Mission in Lewiston ID in 1836 where he was the Nez Perce secular agent and she subsequently later married Jacob Kamm 1823-1912 pioneering Oregon steamship builder industrialist entrepreneur and co-owner/operator of the Ilwaco Railway & Navigation Co. First edition of this scarce speech delivered by J.H.D. Gray 1839-1902 who was the first Euro-American “White†male child born west of the Rocky Mountains after his pioneer father William Henry Gray 1810-1889 came West with Dr. Marcus Whitman in 1836. This speech was one of the earliest proposals to construct a “large iron gastron†dam immediately above the Dalles filled with heavy timbers to back up enough water so that the treacherous Celilo Falls could be deepened and enable continuous navigation on the Columbia River. Largely due to financing political will and the Herculean engineering obstacles this dream would not reach fruition until March 10 1957 when the floodgates of The Dalles Dam were opened 70 years later. J.H.D. Gray first began working for his brother-in-law Jacob Kamm’s Oregon Steam & Navigation Co. in 1858 and ran sternwheelers from Celilo Falls to Lewiston ID to the Owyhee Crossing and onto the Snake River. After losing his hand he began operating the sternwheeler U.S. Grant between Astoria and Ilwaco and in 1886 was elected to the Oregon State Senate. No copies in Worldcat. n.p.], paperback
193662194New York: Reynal & Hitchcock 1936. 8vo. 67 1 pp. Colour frontisp. 3 colour plates numerous woodcut engravings. Gray-blue publisher’s cloth silverlettering on spine minor shelfwear dustsoiling w/ d.j. cover art by Edward A. Wilson minor chipping head of spine scuffing from removed label on front cover dustsoiling & darkening still VG/VG- copy inscribed w/ sailboat illustration by the author on ffep. to Esther Campbell. First edition inscribed with small pen illustration by the author. This semi-autobiographical novella served as the prequel basis for Binns’ acclaimed Lightship 1934 surrounding the experiences of two young couples near Astoria OR dreaming of restoring an abandoned wooden cutter to sail to the South Seas young love and the vicissitudes of sea life. Reynal & Hitchcock, hardcover
190963358New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 1909. Tall thick 8vo. xx 409 1 pp. plus 8 pp. publ. ads. Title in red & blk. Photogravure frntsp. 79 plates 2 large folding colour maps. Blue ribbed publisher’s cloth gilt lettering photo illust. mounted front cover t.e.g. rubbing to corners minor edgewear slightly shaken faint ex-lib markings on spine still VG- copy from the libraries of Dr. John C. Brougher 1901-1983 founder of Vancouver Clinic and famed obstetrician & gynecologist believed to have delivered over 10000 children in SW Washington during his years of practice and Clark County Historical Society Collections recently deaccessioned bookplates on front pastedown. First edition of Lyman’s classic work on the Columbia River and its inhabitants and an early title in the American Waterways series. The author has included extensive sections on the Northwest Coast Native Americans early fur traders the impact of the missionaries Oregon trail and westward movement pioneers and more. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, hardcover
191063830New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons 1910. Tall thick 8vo. xvi 308 pp. plus 8 pp. publisher’s ads. Photo frontisp. photo plates maps 1 folding. Blue ribbed publisher’s cloth photo illust. mounted front cover decorative gilt lettering front cover & spine t.e.g. minor shelfwear slight bumping to foot of spine couple corners still VG bright copy. First edition of this installment in the American Waterways Series describing the great Mississippi River the area’s role in the opening of the American West including the Lewis & Clark Expedition acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase and impact of the Civil War. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, hardcover
189260143Portland OR: C.E. Wiester E.J. Partridge Corner of 3rd & Columbia 1892. Three mounted albumen photographs sized 6.75 x 4.25 in. mounted on dark maroon-coloured studio board w/ photographer’s imprint at lower right corner minor edgewear rubbing slight dustsoiling still nice images w/ good contrast. Three striking images of a bustling Port of Portland Oregon on the Willamette River depicting United States Navy warships sternwheelers barges 3-masted barks and others. The first depicts a Newark-Class Protected Cruiser most likely the USS Baltimore C-3 which was launched and commissioned in 1888 and joined the Pacific Squadron where she served until cruising the West Coast of the United States until October 1892 when she returned to the Atlantic to take part in the Naval maneuvers for the 1893 Columbian Exposition. The second shows the stern of a Yorktown-class gunboat possibly the USS Yorktown PG-1 who sailed with the USS Baltimore in Chile and later took part in sealing patrols from 1892-1898 off of Alaskan waters with the Royal Navy. Wiester 1858-1941 not to be confused with contemporary George M. Weister 1862-1922 who also began his photographic career with the Partridge Photo Company of Portland OR around 1890 and by 1892 had taken over the operation with his own imprint while Weister had launched the Weister Company selling photographs photographic supplies cameras and lantern slides. Charles Wiester worked only for a short time as a photographer as by 1900 he was working as a railroad agent and moved subsequently to Spokane WA by 1910. C.E. Wiester, E.J. Partridge, Corner of 3rd & Columbia, unknown
18775827St. Louis 1877. Good. 239pp. Original limp cloth covers gilt. Light fading and wear. Library ink stamp on title page. Minor wear to contents. Memorial submitted to Congress by the members of the River Improvement Convention held in St. Paul advocating for an allocation of government funds to improve the flow and path of the Mississippi River to better accommodate trade along the water route. unknown
1882JC111661882. Hardcover. Very Good. Mottled black cloth backed in ornately gilt-ruled black calf; oblong 184 x 132 mm; contains 25 pencil drawings most of them titled and dated. It includes Fort Snelling; Minnehaha Falls; Oak Drive in White Bear Lake; a boat on White Bear Lake; St. Anthony's Falls in Minneapolis; Lake Minnetonka; Wabasha St. Bridge; an Old Brewery in St. Paul; Shanty-ville; Shelter Island New York; Goat Island; plus 3 portraits a bonfire scene and other views of the upper Mississippi River Niagara Falls and St. Paul Minnesota. Boards detached and spine perished; a few leaves loose and laid-in. Skilled work most of it on one side of the leaf therefore removable and suitable for display. <br/><br/>Harley DeWitt Nichols 1859-1939 was born in Barton Wisconsin. He began his education in art as early as 11 years of age. His first job putting his talent and training to use came in the form of an apprenticeship with the Milwaukee firm Marr & Richards where he stayed for 3 years drawing and engraving on wood. The subsequent years included many moves from Milwaukee to Chicago and later to New York where he studied at ASL and was encouraged by Professor Packard to pursue a career as an illustrator at a European school. Nichols left for Munich in October 1885 to attend the Royal Academy where he studied under Heckel became a member of the American Club and socialized with Carl von Marr the clubs president. He went to London for a little while and worked as an illustrator. By 1893 hed returned to New York working mostly in advertising and illustrating for Harpers Weekly and Century magazines. He helped organize the New York Water Color Club. Nichols didnt curb his parapatetic lifestyle until he moved to Laguna Beach California in 1894. The art community in Los Angeles was in its infancy but he got a teaching job at the Echo Mountain summer school and he was inspired by the scenery of Yosemite Monterey San Juan Capistrano and other locations in southern California. He stayed in Laguna Beach until his death in 1939. hardcover
19135027Keokuk Ia: Mississippi River Power Company 1913. Very good. Ten volumes complete. Profusely illustrated. Oblong folio. Each issue measuring 9 x 12 inches in original pictorial wrappers two holes punched along spines and bound together in a later gray cloth Tatum-style Y binder with leather corners. Minor edge wear and staining to boards. Light edge wear to contents. A couple of panoramic photographs detached but present. A complete run of bulletins tracking the progress of construction on the Keokuk Dam & Power Plant which was then the longest monolithic concrete dam in the world and a pioneering effort in large-scale low-head hydroelectric power. Still in operation today the dame served as a prototype for many future power plants harnessing the power of the Mississippi River between Keokuk Iowa and Hamilton Illinois generating clean low cost and reliable energy enough to power 75000 homes. The present bulletins are chock full of facts figures photographs renderings and progress reports intended to familiarize the public with the project by illustrating the methods employed in its construction from beginning to completion. The bulletins are about equal parts text and photographs providing an easy-to-follow format for learning about the Keokuk project. Some of the issues also have folding maps or larger-format photographs which provide further visual accompaniment to the explanatory text.<br /> <br /> Known as a "run-of-river" plant the Keokuk Dam uses the natural energy of falling water to generate electricity. The power of this part of the river was identified by none other than Robert E. Lee in 1836 when he was serving as a surveyor for the U.S. War Department. Lee called attention to the turbulent waters but found no way to control it. In 1899 a group of leaders from Keokuk and Hamilton teamed up raised the backing funds received governmental approval for the dam and hired Hugh L. Cooper to oversee the project. Cooper had previously engineered construction of a hydroelectric plant at Niagara Falls. Interestingly an observation tower was also built on both sides of the river to allow the public to watch the progress of the Keokuk project then the largest privately-funded construction effort in the world. In addition to the dam a powerhouse and a new lock and dry system to accommodate river traffic were also built. The final bulletin includes comments from the chief engineer who noted that in the first bulletin it was stated that the project would be completed by July 1 1913. He remarks: "It is naturally a source of great satisfaction to all concerned with construction to see this prediction fulfilled."<br /> <br /> An informative and substantial production relating to a major construction project on the Mississippi River in the early-20th century. OCLC records a smattering of institutional holdings but complete runs appear to be rather rare. Mississippi River Power Company unknown
19313720St. Louis 1931. Good. Cover letter plus 109 photographs all 8 x 10 inches including about thirty duplicate prints. Contemporary brad-bound wrappers typed title label on front cover. Moderate soiling and significant edge wear and tearing to wrappers. Varying levels of marginal chipping to cover letter first two photographs and top right edge of several later photographs with some mostly marginal staining. An informative collection of photographs featuring the right of way on Section J of the River des Peres Drainage Works project in St. Louis from the Fall of 1926 to August 1933. According to the cover letter to the earliest group of photographs from the District Engineer E.E. Ashlock the first group of photographs were taken between September 14th and 16th 1926 by the assistant engineer of his department Harrold I. Smutz. Ashlock also includes a detailed listing with descriptions of the contents of some of the photographs keyed from "J-1" to "J-11." Following Ashlock's cover letter are over a hundred photographs detailing the River des Peres project with additional typed annotations for the later group of photographs. The project pictured here was undertaken after a series of significant floods in St. Louis. The River des Peres at the confluence of the Mississippi River was effectively channelized and its contents redirected underground through a series of large pipes. The river functions today as a critical part of the city's sanitary and storm water system a role it took on after the project pictured here.<br /> <br /> The photographs depict a wide range of perspectives of the River des Peres showing views of upstream equipment pictures taken from an "old road looking east across the cleared right of way" from a "road west.looking downstream along right of way" "on crest of hill.looking upstream showing cut timber to be covered by spoil" and so forth. The photographs are often annotated on the verso sometimes in pen and sometimes on small sheets with typed captions. A typical caption reads: "300 feet west of Sta. 201 on old road looking east. Men are standing on West R. of W. line. The line shown is the west of R. of W. line. East R. of W. line is approximately along line of Telegraph poles."<br /> <br /> The first twenty-two photographs were taken in September 1926. The next thirteen images were produced in 1927-28. The remainder of the images were produced from 1931 to 1933. About thirty of the images are present in duplicate but one or both of the images are usually produced at different exposures or sometimes one of the images is annotated or has additional information captioned on the front or back. In several cases on both the unique images and some of the duplicates an engineer has drawn the right of way lines on the surface of the images and added additional explanatory text especially in the earlier images.<br /> <br /> An important group of photographs showing the state of a major St. Louis public works project in the midst of the Roaring Twenties and one of the largest and most significant public works projects of its time. unknown
187056446New York: Published by Gaylord Watson 16 Beekman St. John Featherston 8 Spruce St. General Agent 1870. 8vo. 2 50 4 pp. with 2 additional inserted leaves of colour-tinted advertisements on blue & lavender-coloured papers numerous woodcut engravings 1 woodcut-engraved map of New York City birds-eye view of New Amsterdam on verso 1 large folding hand-coloured woodcut engraved map following the route of the Hudson River Valley sized 8.75 x 38 in. Lightly colour-tinted softcovers printed advertisements on front & back minor chipping edgewear to corners minor creasing large Hudson River map w/ 1 small closed tear at first fold still a VG exemplar. Revised edition additional ads dated 1869 larger folding map dated 1864 print advertisements of this classic guide to the Hudson River Valley without the Principal Railroad Routes to the Great West map called for in the table of contents but not referred to in contemporary advertisements which only refer to the Gaylord Watson Hudson River Guide as with “map.†Originally issued by Humphrey Phelps in 1857 the guide continued to be updated and maps revised by Gaylord Watson the successor to Humphrey Phelps. Worldcat locates 6 copies. Published by Gaylord Watson, 16 Beekman St., John Featherston, 8 Spruce St., General Agent, paperback
197664134Richland WA: Atlantic Richfield Hanford Company 1976. Two vols. 4to. 1 xiii 168 1; 266 pp. With plates diagrams folding tables charts maps. Uniformly bound in gray softcovers blue lettering front covers stapled at gutter margin as issued minor scuffing research some thumbing to fore-edges still VG- set from the library of Dr. Clive F. “Rick†Kienle 1942-2025 geologist and specialist in aerial photo mapping. First editions thus of this report prepared for the U.S. Energy Research and Development Administration under Contract E45-1-2130 following the significant pressures resulting from investigations into the chemical explosion at the 242-Z Building August 1976 as the Hanford Nuclear Reservation had seriously underestimated the risks of long-term storage of highly radioactive waste in aging underground tanks. Investigations in this report examined and discussed the geologic hydrologic heat transfer and rock-waste evaluating the feasibility of storing nuclear wastes in caverns mined out into the Columbia River basalts. Unfortunately this continues to be an issue with much of the Hanford Reservation now operating as the largest Superfund cleanup site in the country and as late as the 1990’s 20 years after this report contaminated ground water underneath the Hanford reservation was threatening not only the Columbia River but the entire watershed. Worldcat locates 3 sets of this 2-volume edition US Army Engineers PSU Western WA U. Atlantic Richfield Hanford Company, paperback
191342745Hood River OR: City of 1913. 8vo. 277 1 pp. Gray printed softcvrs vry sml tear lwr bk crnr mnr shlfwr still a VG copy. First edition thus of this very early printed charter and laws of the Columbia River city which was incorporated in 1895. City of, unknown
191549937Meadville PA: Keystone View Co. ca. 1915. Three glass slides. 3.25 x 4 in. each with black tape border around the edges of the glass printed text of Keystone View Co. and caption at margins all in excellent condition in small box. These three glass slides depict salmon fishing a cannery and the scenic Columbia River valley. The glass slide showing the first haul depicts the fishermen standing around holding large Chinook salmon that they have taken from the seiner nets laying on the beach hauled in by horse teams out of the Columbia River. The second slide is particularly fascinating as it shows Chinese-Americans cleaning de-boning scraping off the scales dressing and then preparing the salmon caught in fish wheels to be packed into cans to be shipped worldwide. Astoria canneries were one of the chief suppliers at the beginning of the 20th century and their workforce was largely composed of Chinese Japanese and even Northwest Coast Indian workers. The last shows a man sitting in sand dunes above railroad tracks along the River. Keystone View Co., unknown
191044401Hood River OR: Better Fruit Publishing Co. 1910. Folio. 90 pp. Over 100 illusts. photos diagrams illust. ads. Photo-illust. self-printed wrappers cover art of Columbia River Goge on frnt cvr mnr edgewear some creasng VG copy. First edition of this lavishly illustrated and exceedingly scarce trade magazine for the orchard industry in the Pacific Northwest. The illustrations and illustrated ads are replete with images of Northwest agriculture and farm machinery at the beginning of the 20th century. Better Fruit Publishing Co., unknown
190263438The Dalles OR: Benj. A. Gifford 1902. Oblong 8vo. 9.5 x 6.5 in. 37 leaves unnumbered. including 18 boudoir-sized collotype photographs printed on matte-finish paper stock w/ Benj. Gifford copyright notice lower fore-edge of image captions & negative number indicated all printed with excellent contrast w/in the negative also included 18 printed caption tissue guards. Dark gray ribbed softcovers yapp fore-edges w/ folding clasp flap at fore-edge of front cover decorative white lettering front cover punch-sewn w/ colour silk braid at gutter margin minor chipping to foot of spine into lower left front cover minor shelfwear creasing to yapp fore-edges still a VG- copy w/ ownership markings on title for Lillie D. Stewart a railroad company stenographer living in Denver CO at the beginning of the 20th Century and she paid $ 1.50 for the booklet. First edition of this very scarce and nicely printed collotype photographic views of the Columbia River Gorge sold from Gifford’s studio in The Dalles OR. Gifford 1859-1936 is considered perhaps Oregon’s most famous photographer and his beautiful images included here depict Rooster Rock sternwheeler at the Dalles Latourelle Falls Cape Horn the Pillars of Hercules Multnomah Falls shot 12 years prior to the historic Benson Footbridge at Multnomah Falls constructed by Robert Lee Ringer in 1914. Other images include the Sternwheeler Regulator Warren’s Salmon Cannery Sternwheeler Bailey Gatzert approaching the Cascade Locks Fish Wheel on the Columbia the Oregon Railway & Navigation Chicago-Portland Special leaving Tunnel 2 and the Native American burial ground of Memaloose Island. Gifford first worked in Portland until 1895 then opened a studio in The Dalles and later returned to Portland in 1910 where he continued to operate both studios until about 1920. Later his son Ralph I Gifford took over operation of the studio and continued to operate the business. Worldcat locates 1 copy OSU. Benj. A. Gifford, paperback
1981172350Ok Tedi Mining Corporation. September1981. 35 full page colour charts with 9 pages of tidal predictions for 1982 and 1983 on preceeding leaves. Printed on one side of each leaf and presented in metal ring binder large oblong plastic covers titled on upper cover and spine in black. Very good copy. 30 x 43cm. "The following notes on the hydrographic charts navigational aids and tidal predictions which appear in this publication are a summary of a report prepared for the Ok Tedi Mining Limited by the Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation with the assistance of Hydrographic Surveys Pty Ltd in December 1981. The hydrographic surveys required to produce these charts were carried out in February and March 1981. " . Ok Tedi Mining Corporation. unknown
1960811Peace River Alberta Canada: Peace River Lodge No. 131 Auxiliary To The B.P.O. Elks Canada N.D. Circa 1960's. First printing. Spiral Bound. pp. 40 h. 8vo. measuring 9.5" x 6". White stiff card covers held with black plastic spiral binding. Black and white illustrations many advertisements by local business merchants of Peace River Alberta. A variety of recipes with the names of contributors noted below each recipe. Light rubbing to covers contents bright clean and unmarked with tight sound binding; very good. Contains a full listing of members of Order of the Royal Purple. Note: The Order of The Royal Purple was the female auxiliary of the Elks of Canada. At time of cataloguing this title does not appear amongst the holdings at Peel LAC/BAC University of Alberta or The University of Guelph Special Collections Cookbook Collection. Scarce. <br/><br/> Peace River Lodge No. 131, Auxiliary To The B.P.O. Elks Canada unknown
1835ZB520406Washington: 1835. paper wrappers HD 180 7 pp. good. - If you are reading this this item is actually physically in our stock and ready for shipment once ordered. We are not bookjackers. Buyer is responsible for any additional duties taxes or fees required by recipient's country. Washington: unknown
188035288n.p.: n.p. 1880. Photograph. Good. Photograph. Approx. 10" x 8". Light wear to the photograph card. Written on the back side of the picture - "Steamer Cherokee Chattahoochee River Georgia 1880. n.p. unknown
35289n.p.: Smith n.d. Photograph. Good. Photograph. Approx. 10" x 8". Light wear to the photograph card. "Smith Mar. 14" printed on the card. Smith unknown
1711ST20182London: W. Lewis 1711. FIRST EDITION First Issue. 280 x 152 mm. 8 1/8 x 6". 1 p.l. 43 1 pp. <br/> VERY PRETTY DARK GREEN CRUSHED MOROCCO ELABORATELY GILT IN PERIOD STYLE BY RIVIERE & SON stamp-signed on front turn-in covers with double frames formed of floral sprigs drawer handles and other small tools the frames enclosing an elegant central wreath; raised bands spine panels densely gilt with stippling floral tools radiating from small central flower gilt lettering turn-ins densely gilt with scrolling foliate tools all edges gilt. With an attractive woodcut headpiece and tailpiece; one foliated woodcut initial. Front pastedown with the bookplate of Winston Henry Hagen and book label of William A. Strutz. Griffith 2; Rothschild 1564; Foxon P806; Day "History of English Literature 1600-1837" pp. 73-4. Sheets uniformly a little toned because carefully washed the usual offsetting on facing flyleaves from turn-ins but a very pleasing copy--the text without signs of use and the exceptionally pretty binding lustrous and virtually unworn.<br/> <br/> This first printing of Alexander Pope’s first independent publication called by Day "one of the most quoted poems in English" offers a sumptuous binding in the style of the period retains its scarce original half-title and boasts an impressive provenance. Pope 1688-1744 composed "An Essay on Criticism" early in his career possibly when he was just 18. In this poem which introduced several expressions now common in the lexicon including "to err is human; to forgive divine" and "fools rush in where angels fear to tread" Pope provides his philosophy on what makes good criticism and by extension good poetry. Of it Day writes: "no one can claim originality for the content of 'Essay on Criticism' but all must admit the incomparable mastery of verse and language." This copy retains the half-title which is often missing primarily because it was often used as part of the volume's wrappers. Our copy does lack the final leaf of ads as almost always with copies of this edition. The strikingly attractive binding done in an elaborately gilt style reminiscent of a Roger Payne design is the work of Riviere one of the foremost names among English binderies. Our copy has belonged to two notable collectors. According to Dickinson Hagen 1859-1918 was a collector whose library especially strong in English literature "reflected a highly developed intelligent connoisseurship." Beverly Chew wrote in the foreword to the catalogue for the Hagen sale at Anderson Galleries 13 May 1918 that the library which featured high spots bought at the Lefferts and Poor sales "was one of the best ever submitted to the public at auction." William A. Strutz 1934-2024 was a North Dakota attorney and passionate bibliophile who assembled a library of over 15000 rare and important literary works. Our first printing of "Essay on Criticism" is not easy to find in the attractive condition seen here. W. Lewis unknown
