Heading: (Pacific Railroad Reports)
Author:
Title: Reports of Explorations and Surveys, to Ascertain the most Practicable and Economical Route for a Railroad from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean made under the Direction of the Secretary of War, in 1853-56
Place Published: Washington, D.C.
Publisher:
Date Published: 1855-1860
Description:

12 volumes bound in 13. (4to) 29x22 cm (11½x8¼"), later black cloth, spine lettered in gilt. Mixed Senate and House issues; however, the spines are uniformly labelled "Senate".

Complete Senate issue of the massive compilation of surveys and reports undertaken under the aegis of Secretary of War Jefferson Davis in the largest concerted effort to map the western frontier of the United States to that time. Volume 5 features a plate of what is considered the first published color view of Los Angeles. The plates and maps, except for the expected foxing, are all in a nearly pristine state. Out of volumes present, each volume believed to be complete (but not collated). Howes P3; Wagner-Camp 262-267.

In these landmark volumes, four major routes were surveyed, from a northern route terminating at the mouth of the Columbia River to a southern route running through Texas to San Diego. Among the principal contributors were A.A. Humphreys, G.K. Warren, Isaac Ingalls Stevens, J.G. Parke, A.W. Whipple, J.C. Ives, W.H. Emory, Spencer F. Baird and others. The important series of lithographic views of the West, from drawings by Richard and Edward Kern, Tom Mix Stanley, Charles Koppel and others, presented to the world some of the first depictions of previously unexplored regions of the West, and some of its newly civilized regions. Wagner-Camp notes, "Despite their flaws, these volumes contain a monumental collection of scientific information, geographical, zoological, botanical, geological, of the still mysterious American West. Upon first examination, the volumes seem forbiddingly disorganized... however these faults are amply compensated by the richness of the material within."Additional shipping charges may apply

Moderate toning and foxing throughout; occasional small tears and dampstaining; still overall near fine.