LOT Old Heritage Auctions  /  2007 October Rare Books & Manuscripts #675  / 

30775

Washington Irving: Astoria

Currency:USD Category:Books / Antiquarian & Collectible Start Price:630.00 USD Estimated At:700.00 - 800.00 USD
Washington Irving: Astoria
<B>Washington Irving: </B></I><B><I>Astoria</B></I></B></I><I>, or Anecdotes of an Enterprise beyond the Rocky Mountains.</B></I> (Philadelphia: Carey, Lea, & Blanchard, 1836), first edition, first issue (copyright notice and "Henry W. Rees, Stereotyper, 45 Gold Street, New-York" on verso of title page and "Bradbury" on page 239 of Volume II), two volumes, 564 total pages plus eight page publisher's catalog, modern acid-free dark green half leather binding on dark green moire cloth with gilt lettering on the banded leather spine, binding by the School of Apprentices at the R. R. Donnelley & Sons Company of Chicago, deckled edges, top edge gilt, 8vo (5.75" x 8.75"). Frontispiece by Charles Martin. Fold-out map bound-in at the title page of Volume II. This is a wonderful first-hand history of John Jacob Astor's American Fur Company, which founded the trading post of Astoria at the mouth of the Columbia River in 1811. Given unprecedented access to Astor's papers, Irving constructed <I>Astoria</B></I> from Astor's company history and his own experiences as a traveling writer in the West. Astoria grew to be the first permanent settlement on the Pacific coast, and most Americans east of Oregon learned about Astoria from this book by the author of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle." Irving broke with his own tradition in the early 1830s when he was bitten by Western fever and wrote three highly successful books based on his experiences beyond the Rockies. <I>Astoria</B></I> was his most successful, and further cemented Irving as one of the truly great men of American letters. The set presented here is in very good condition, with minor edge wear, rubbed corners, slight rubbing to the raised spine bands, and two moderate chips of the leather at the spine extremities of Volume I. The binding is tight and the text is clean and bright in this beautiful set of books about America's first millionaire written by the first truly American popular author.<BR><BR><b>Shipping:</b> Books & Catalogs (<a target="_blank" href="http://www.heritageauctions.com/common/shipping.php">view shipping information</a>)
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