The Santa Fe Trail to California, 1849-1852; The Journal and Drawings of H.M.T. Powell

San Francisco: The Book Club of California [printed by E. & R. Grabhorn (the Grabhorn Press)], 1931. First and Limited Edition. Hardcover. Very good +. One of 300 copies, folio size, 293 pp. From the description in the BCC bibliography: "The journal covers three years of travel from Greenville, Illinois, to St. Louis, to San Diego, then up the California cast to San Jose, the gold fields and San Francisco, and back to Greenville via the Isthmus. It is a vivid day-by-day account, supplemented by the author's drawings which are reproduced in the exact size of the originals..."

Thought to be expensive at the time of publication (priced at $30.00), the account goes on to say that "[t]oday it is among the most sought-after and expensive of the Club's publications" and was selected as one of the Fifty Books of the Year. The book was printed from the original manuscript account "in the possession of the Press", and per the Grabhorn bibliography "does not follow the usual period treatment of the gold rush days." Your cataloguer would like to note that the headers on each page bring a particular delight, such as "Mining no easy job" and "Panned $4.50 in two days" (found on pp. 256-7).

A wonderful production, one of the best from the Grabhorn Press.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in tan cloth boards with natural niger shelfback, title and date blind-stamped onto the spine, the raised bands with decorations in blind, frontispeice one of two folding maps, title page in red and black with a small line-drawing, five ornate initial capitals in red at the beginning of each section, marginal notes and illustrations, seven small and sixteen full-page drawings (including the frontis), small blind-stamp on the rear turn-in ("G-P 91 W:W.") likely a binder's mark; monotype Centaur on Van Gelder paper, folio size (13 3/4" by 9 5/8"), pagination: [i-xiii] [1 blank] [2] [1] 2-272, limited edition of 300 copies (unnumbered).

___CONDITION: Better than very good (and could likely be deemed near fine), with clean boards, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, the sole prior owner marking we see a tasteful Ex-Libris on the front pastedown, and collated complete with all folding maps and illustrations present and being near fine to fine; a light scrape to the front board, the spine with some dark spots (we believe bound thus), sunning, a few light marks and the joints just beginning to show wear, some offsetting from the Ex-Libris on the front free endpaper.

___CITATIONS: BCC 100 books, no. 41; Grabhorn Press Bibliography, no. 158; Wright-Howes P522.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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