Texas by HOLLEY, Mary Austin - 1836

Lexington, KY: J. Clarke & Co, 1836. Wear to binding, front free endpaper lacking, some toning to sheets, horizontal tear through some leaves at end. 8vo (176 x 107 mm). Later copy of Holley's frontispiece map inserted (tear along one fold). Original muslin, printed paper spine label. Provenance: William Bollaert (1807-1876), writer, chemist, geographer and ethnologist (signature on title, see below); Edward Everett Ayer, presented to the Newberry Library (bookplate, with Newberry removal label; sold Parke Bernet 4-5 May 1966, lot 442). Second, enlarged edition of Holley's promotion of colonization. The 1836 edition is not merely a re-issue of the 1833 edition of Holley's 'Texas: Observations. Historical, Geographical and Descriptive in a Series of Letters.' It is a significantly expanded issue that includes commentary and documents relating to the Texas Revolution. Of the notable additions, Streeter stated, "As Mrs. Holley says in her Preface and again to the same effect in her Introduction, this is primarily a book of information intended for the emigrant rather than the general reader. There are chapters with such titles as 'Towns, Villages, &c.,' 'Money, Banks, Mail Establishments,' and there is a history of Texas carried down to Houston's army order of May 5, 1836, bidding farewell to his troops on leaving for treatment at New Orleans. There are also reprintings of Austin's Address at Lexington of March 7, 1836, the Mexican Constitution of 1824, and the Texas Constitution of March 17, 1836."Although Streeter preferred the 1833 edition, Jenkins considered the 1836 issue more important and influential due to these additions: "In addition to the San Jacinto reports, it includes the first book printing of the Texas Declaration of Independence, of the Republic of Texas Constitution, of Travis' famous letter from the Alamo, of Austin's Louisville Address of 1836, and other key documents of the revolution."

With a fine provenance: "After a six-year life of intrigue in Spain, Bollaert journeyed to the Republic of Texas at the behest of his friend William Kennedy, who was subsequently appointed British consul at Galveston. He reached the coastal town in February 1842 and began to prepare a report for the British Admiralty. During the next two years he traveled extensively throughout Texas and wrote not only his formal report but also a very detailed journal, which he hoped to use someday as material for a commercial book. Troubled with fevers and the dimmed prospects of Britain's future in Texas (because of British opposition to annexation of Texas), he left Galveston on July 10, 1844" (Texas State Historical Association). Bollaert's papers are located at the Newberry in Chicago and the collection includes journals, notes, clippings, and maps. The private journals and diary provided the basis for his ' Personal Narrative of a Residence and Travels in the Republic of Texas, 1840-1844' which Bollaert planned to use as a manuscript for publication. Bollaert's journals include numerous encounters with Texas President's Houston and Lamar among other prominent military and political leaders. In the Newberry's own words, Bollaert's papers remain one of the most important sources of information on the frontier Republic and its people. The present volume was presumably deaccessioned due to its lack of manuscript annotation, but it is likely that Bollaert referred to this as source material before his travels to the Republic. Sabin 32528; Streeter Texas 1207; Raines, page 116; Howes H593; Jenkins 94; Graff 1935.