A Delineation by Pen and Pencil of the Mountains, Rivers, Lakes, Forests, Water-Falls, Shores, Cañyons, Valleys, Cities, and Other Picturesque Features of Our Country.
Editor: William Cullen Bryant
Illustrators: Eminent American artists including: Harry Fenn, R. Swain Gifford, Homer Martin, Granville Perkins, Alfred Waud, Thomas Moran, W. L. Sheppard, William Hart, F. O. C. Darley, etc.
Publisher: New York, NY: D. Appleton and Company. 1872, 1874.
Introducing a captivating two-volume folio of Picturesque America edited by William Cullen Bryant, boasting 900 wood engravings and 50 steel ones! This amazing collection served as a launchpad for an upsurge in tourism and helped fuel the historic preservation movement in the US. Featuring some of the most beautiful engraved steel prints and wood engravings, it also includes captivating scenes from the Catskills as well as the pre-bridge Golden Gate Harbor, crafted after original artwork by iconic 19th century painters like Thomas Moran, R. Swain Gifford, Harry Fenn, and James D. Smillie - all brought to you with help from the team of artists Bryant provided to explore all parts of the United States! When it released, Picturesque America granted a glimpse of a whole new world - from the starkly unfamiliar to old cities - while also conveying the idea of a steady, prosperous nation recovering from the Civil War.
CONDITION: Good Condition. Noticeable wear is rubbing to the leather covers and some discoloration (see pics) . Original publisher’s deluxe full brown -tooled morocco leather binding. Decorative gilt pictorial title. Solid intact tight bindings. Guilt lettering and page ends. Marbled end paper. Paper is healthy, with sporadic light foxing/toning on some pages, as should be expected with paper of the mid-19th century, this set features high-quality, timeless construction. Steel and wood engravings throughout, with original tissue guards present. . No missing pages. Please note each book weighs just over 10 pounds each.
