Information, Respecting the History, Condition and Prospects of the Indian Tribes of the United States.
Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Company, 1853-1856.
Numerous plates and maps, many after Seth Eastman. Engraved titles. 5 vols. 4to. Later half burgundy morocco and cloth boards, recased with the original spines laid down. Foxing Sabin 77855; Howes S183; Bennett p.95. Item #353069
One of the most important and massive works concerning indigenous Americans, a foundation stone of ethnological studies in America, and by far the most extensive single work on the subject issued in the 19th century. Schoolcraft, the general editor, was commissioner of Indian Affairs for many years, and in an unparalleled position to assemble the data presented herein. Field, while criticizing the general layout of the work, says it contains "a vast mass of really valuable material. It has indeed performed a very important service for Indian history, in collecting and preserving an immense amount of historical data. Vocabularies of Indian languages, grammatical analyses, legends of various tribes, biographies of chiefs and warriors, narratives of captivities, histories of Indian wars, emigrations and theories of their origin, are all related and blended...a very large number of beautiful steel engravings, representative of some phase of Indian life and customs, are contained in the work...." In fact, the volumes contain some numerous illustrations, many of them steel engravings after artist and military commander of Fort Snelling, Seth Eastman, most of which do not appear elsewhere.
This edition a later issue, complete in five volumes and in slightly smaller format than the first edition.
Price: $2,750.00 Free International Delivery
