History of the Expedition Under the Command of Captains Lewis and Clarke.

LEWIS, Meriwether; William Clarke; Prepared for the press by Paul Allen; Revised and abridged by Archibald M'Vickar.

$1,800.00

Item Number: 145258

New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1858.

Revised and abridged edition of “the definitive account of the most important exploration of the North American continent” (Wagner-Camp), a cornerstone in Americana. Octodecimo, two volumes uniformly bound with four similar works of Americana each in two volumes for a total of ten volumes, bound in three quarter calf over marbled boards with morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled, folding map of Lewis and Clark’s track across the Western portion of North America to Vol. I. Uniformly bound with Indian Traits Being Sketches of the Manners, Customs, and Character of the North American Natives by B. B. Thatcher [New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1854. Two volumes, tissue-guarded frontispiece and additional illustrated title page to both volumes]; Indian Biography by B. B. Thatcher [New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1858. Two volumes, tissue-guarded frontispiece portrait of Red Jacket to Vol. I]; American Adventure by Land and Sea [New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1859. Two volumes]; Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin [New York: Harper & Brothers, Publishers, 1860. Two volumes, tissue-guarded frontispiece portrait of Benjamin Franklin to Vol. I]. In very good condition. A collection including the high spots of Americana.

"The Lewis and Clark expedition stands as a major event in American history, solidly establishing our title to the vast Louisiana Territory and later to the Oregon country. The explorations revealed a strange and unknown world, full of exciting wonders, and pointed the way to its possibilities for future development" (Downs, Books that Changed America, 40).