Presentation copy

Schoolcraft, Henry R

Information, respecting the history, condition and prospects of the Indian tribes of the United States… Illustrated by S[eth] Eastman, Capt., U.S.A

Philadelphia: Lippincott, Grambo & Co. [later, Lippincott & Co.], 1853-57. Second edition, 6 volumes, large 4to, complete with engraved portrait and 330 maps and plates (some chromolithographs, some tinted lithos, some steel engravings, a few hand colored), plus a folding table; engraved vignette title pages in each volume; volume 6 under a slightly different title, and duplicating some of the plates in the earlier volumes; original blindstamped cloth, gilt vignettes on upper covers, gilt lettering on spine. Volumes 2-6 are in green cloth; volume I is in brown cloth and bears a presentation inscription from Schoolcraft to the "Hon. C. G. Green"; volume 2 with an inscription to the "Hon. Joseph A. Woodward with the respects of L. Lea, Comm: Ind Affairs"; volume 5 with rubberstamp of the Willowbrook Public Library and the Indian Prairie Public Library, both of Willowbrook, IL, on the front pastedown, and inscribed on the front free endaper to "Lt. Col. Chas. Thomas, U.S. Army, with the respects of Geo. W. Manypenny, Comr.: Ind. Affairs"; neat repair to the spine ends on volumes 1, 2, 3, and 5; spine ends cracked or chipped on volumes 4 and 6; volume 2 rebacked with old spine laid down, hinges cracked on volume 6. Clearly a made-up set from disparate individual volumes. Good and sound. "Schoolcraft's work was intended to be a great encyclopedia of information relating to the American aborigines. With great earnestness, some fitness for research, and a good deal of experience of Indian life, Mr. Schoolcraft had but little learning and no scientific training. In consequence, his six volumes are little more than a magazine, of such matter relating to the Indians as fell to his hand, including a rehash of all which he had before written … Badly arranged, and selected as it is, the work 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 historic data. Vocabularies of Indian languages, grammatical analyses, legends of various tribes, biographies of chiefs and warriors, narratives of captivities, histories of Indian wars [etc.] are all related and blended in an extraordinary and perplexing manner… A very large number of beautiful steel engravings, representative of some phase of Indian life and customs, are contained in the work, but the most valuable of its illustrations are the drawings of weapons, domestic utensils, instruments of gaming and amusement, sorcery and medicine, objects of worship…and every form of antiquities which have been discovered" (Field). Accompanied by: Index to Schoolcraft's "Indian Tribes of the United States," compiled by Frances S. Nichols, Washington: G.P.O., 1954, 8vo, pp. vi, 257; fine in original printed wrappers. Sabin 77855; Howes S-183; Field 1379. Item #54545

Price: $12,500.00