in American history that a black slave had voted, the first time a woman had voted” (Ambrose, p. 316). The significance of the expedition is beyond doubt. When they set off, the United States was still a seaboard collection of former colonies, clinging to the Atlantic; when they returned, the country was on its path to a continental nation, poised for world power with the vast land and resources which they saw. They asserted the United States’ claim for unbroken territory across the continent, which would soon drive out British and Spanish claims on the territory (unknown to the pair, the Spanish sent four forces which each failed to intercept the expedition). In only one respect was the expedition a disappointment – it proved Jefferson’s hope of a navigable north-west passage through America’s waterways from the Atlantic to the Pacific was impossible. The large folding map of the west, present here, was not issued with all copies, and in fact was priced separately and cost almost as much as the book itself. Copied from Clark’s original drawing, it marks a milestone in the cartography of the west. “More accurate than any previous western map, it rapidly became
the source for a new generation of western maps” (Schwartz & Ehrenberg, p. 227). What was once white space was filled with mountain ranges, rivers, and lakes. 2 volumes, octavo (226 × 141 mm). Late 19th-century black half morocco, spines lettered in gilt, marbled sides and endpapers, top edge red, others rough trimmed. Large folding frontispiece map, 5 engraved charts. Contemporary signature of “Jo. Gratz” to title pages, late 19th-century bookplate of Horace Joseph of Montreal to front pastedown and his stamp to initial binder’s blank; a few old pencil annotations to text. Bound without initial and terminal blanks. Morocco skilfully retouched and presenting handsomely, a couple of tips with very minor wear, contents with light toning and foxing as usual but cleaner than often, small and discreet archival tape repair to short closed tear on verso of map, old repair to 6 cm closed tear to vol. I pp. 103/4 slightly affecting text without loss; a very nice, wide- margined, firm copy. ¶ Church 1309; Field 928; Graff 2477; Grolier American 100, 30; Howes L317; Printing and the Mind of Man 272; Tweney 89, 44; Sabin 40828; Shaw & Shoemaker 31924; Streeter Sale 1777; Streeter, A mericana Beginnings , 52; Wagner-Camp 13:1. Stephen Ambrose, Undaunted Courage , 2005; Seymour Schwartz & Ralph Ehrenberg, The Mapping of America , 2005. £125,000 [159182]
LEADERSHIP
52
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter maker