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One of the finest examples of books presenting the American landscape of ca. 1870; from the library of Sir Edward Tate
BRYANT, William Cullen (Ed.).Picturesque America; or, the land we live in. A delineation by pen and pencil of the mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, water-falls, shores, cañons, valleys, cities, and other picturesque features of our country.     New York, D. Appelton and Company, 1872 & 1874. 2 vols. Folio. Original full brown publisher's roan over beveled boards, decorated in Art Nouveau style with gilt decorated title within blind tooled border on both front covers, spines raised in five compartments with gilt title, gilt and decorated inner dentelles, g.e., marbled endpapers. Vol. I: Full-page steel-engraved frontispiece, steel-engraved title, 22 full-page steel-engraved plates. Vol. II: Full-page steel-engraved frontispiece, steel-engraved title, 23 full-page steel-engraved plates. Numerous steel- and wood engraved illustrations in text. VIII, 568; VI, 576 pp. Beautifully illustrated work on America which presents a full description and elaborate pictorial delineation of all the different portions of the United States, including Canada. The prints in this work are of exquisite quality, many are almost photographic. The purpose of the editor of this work, William Cullen Bryant (1794-1878), has been 'to illustrate with greater fullness and artistic excellence than has hitherto been attempted, all the spots endeared to us by association, and, at the same time, to bring into public appreciation the many glorious scenes that lie in the by-ways of travel'. O.B. Bunce, T.B. Thorpe, Robert Carter, J.C Carter and G.M. Towle are amongst the many writers who contributed to this work. Picturesque America was a very popular book in its day, for it provided Americans with glimpses into the rustic beauty and history of the American landscape. It documents the nineteenth century national passion for an aesthetic view of American scenery. With its nine hundred wood engravings and marvellous steel engravings, it is considered to have had a lasting effect on both the growth of tourism and the historic preservation movement in the United States. After their publication in 1872 and 1874, the two volume gift set of Picturesque America quickly became a best seller and by 1880, the works were included in some 100,000 American home libraries. Picturesque America had a profound effect on its readers, who considered its contents to be uplifting, a means of self improvement, and essential to self-education. The visual appeal of its scenic reproductions delighted Americans with imagery of their country that they could have only imagined in the past. The works, many engraved after paintings by famous artists, offered views that were pleasing but not necessarily true to life. Motifs associated with the picturesque tradition, such as craggy and twisted glimpses of nature and humans and animals placed in a rugged landscape, were plentiful. Numerous cityscapes featuring city squares, parks, important architectural landmarks and national monuments were also documented in scenes depicting New York , Philadelphia, Baltimore, Boston, and Washington D.C., among others. In the words of its editor, William Cullen Bryant, "Picturesque America encompassed the entire country while affording a nearly endless variety of sites with superiority over visions of the Old World." This massive set is most remarkable for the steel engravings after the drawings of chief artist, Harry Fenn, which were made on the spot, and by artists such as Thomas Moran, R. Swain Gifford, Granville Perkins, Homer Martin, Alfred R. Waud, W.L. Sheppard, and James D. Smillie, sent by the publishers for the purpose. The superb plates were engraved by many very good artists, including Robert Hinshelwood, a Scots engraver who emigrated to America in 1835 where he established a considerable reputation for his work on landscapes. The sights presented range from Niagara Falls and Mount Desert Island, to Lake Superior and the coast of Florida, to Mount Hood and Yosemite Valley. Urban views include New Orleans, Buffalo, New York harbour, Cleveland, and Milwaukee, as well as the Gold Gate harbour before the bridge was erected. William Cullen Bryant was one of America's most talented poets, he also worked as a journalist in New York for over 30 years. He was born in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, USA. He studied at Williams College and later went on to study law which he practised for 10 years. At the tender age of 14 years, he had a volume of his poems published in Boston. In 1816 Thanatopsis was published and in 1824 several other small works of his. Bryant discontinued his work as a lawyer in 1825 to dedicate his time to literature and moved to New York City. He was associated with the Evening Post there and later became one of its proprietors. He became chief editor of the journal in 1836 but also worked on sketches, popular, elegant poems, tales and letters of travel through the West Indies, United States, and Europe. Our copy comes from the library of Sir Edward (Edwin) Tate, with his armorial bookplate and the family motto 'Thinck and thancke' pasted on the first flyleaves of each volume. The same dedication on the first blank in each volume is as follows: 'May Edward Tate. August 12, 1874. With the love and warmth and good wishes from Uncle William and Aunt Eliza and Cousins Mary, Agnes and Bertha.' Fine set.- (Corners of magnificent binding sl. bumped).
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€ 3.750,00
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All items are offered subject to prior sale. Prices are nett and in (€) EURO. VAT/BTW, postage, and insurance are not included.
Free shipping for orders over € 2,500. EU customers: if applicable, please quote your VAT number when placing orders.
Preferred mode of payment: by credit card through our secure online payment service, which is facilitated by Ogone. If you wish to make other arrangements, please contact us. Terms of sale
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