Notes On A Journey In America,From The Coast Of Virginia To The Territory Of Illinois
London: James Ridgway, 1818. Second Edition. Hardcover. Near Fine. Original three quarters leather with marbled paper insets. Lettered and elaborately decorated in gilt to the spine. A later binding but clearly from the 19th century. 8vo - 163,[4-ads] pp. With a lovely example of the large fold-out map. First published in Philadelphia in 1817. "Second Edition" statement to the title page. Birkbeck came to America in 1817 with the intent of establishing a "utopian" society in Illinois. He had become very disenchanted with the political/social structure in England and never returned. The elaborate map is bound in before page 6, the actual beginning to the text. The heading on the map states - "Map of part of the UNITED STATES of NORTH AMERICA, with the TERRIORY of the ILLINOIS on the OHIO, particularly designed to illustrate Birkbeck's Journey." Sections of the map are highlighted in color. The book is solid and extremely clean. A really lovely copy of this early first impression of this young country.
Price: $750.00