IRVING, WASHINGTON. ASTORIA, or, ANECDOTES OF AN ENTERPRISE BEYOND THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS (2 vols, First edition, first issue) (Rose Bindery). Carey, Lea, & Blanchard, Philadelphia, 1836.

Price: US$3300.00 + shipping

Condition: Fine

Description: 2 Volumes. 8vo, finely bound in full leather, gilt, raised bands, all edges gilt, silk moire endpapers, leather edging on pastedown endpapers. These beautiful, exquisite bindings executed by The Rose Bindery, Boston (stamped in gilt by them at bottom of each volume on the leather edging of the front pastedown endpapers). Interiors are very clean. Former owner's bookplate in each volume (Roderick Terry). Laid in is a sheet autographed: "Washington Irving / Sunnyside, March 24th, 1854". VOL II has the folding map as frontis - it is in fine condition. First edition, first state, with the copyright notice and "Henry W. Rees, Stereotyper" on the verso of the title-page of volume one, without signature "1*" on page 5, garbled footnote on page 239 in vol. II, without the footnote on page 259 of volume II. Graff 2158; Hill 872; Howes I-81; Wheat, Mapping the Transmississippi West 419 & II, p. 157-58: "An important milestone in western mapping." I bought these two beautiful books from an old friend. He himself was a retired antiquarian bookseller; these being treasures in his own extensive private collection. These are absolutely beautiful, rare in these outstanding bindings, plus the laid in autograph. A rare opportunity to by a cornerstone set for any discriminating collector.

Seller: NorthStar Books, Spokane, WA, U.S.A.