August 1, 2010
VERY RARE 1868 ROYAL OCTAVO EDITION OF MCKENNEY’S HISTORY OF THE INDIAN TRIBES
One of the most famous and magnificent colored plates books issued in the United States up to its publication.
McKenney,Thomas L. History of the Indian tribes of North America : with biographical sketches and anecdotes of the principal chiefs. Philadelphia : Rice, Rutter & Co., no. 525 Minor Street, 1868. THREE (3) VOLUMES. Royal Octavo. approx, 26 x 18 cm., Publisher’s original brown blind-stamped morocco bindings, edges gilt, some light rubbing as depicted, plates with some occasional minor staining, light spotting and soiling. Overall, a VERY GOOD, HANDSOME AND COMPLETE COPY with 16 more plates than called for by the title page. See: Howes M-129; Sabin 43411 [Sold]
McKenney’s History of the Indian Tribes stands as one of the most famous and magnificent colored plates books issued in the United States up to its publication.
Thomas Loraine McKenney (1785–1859) was a United States official who served as Superintendent of Indian Trade from 1816–1822, under Presidents Madison, Monroe, John Quincy Adams, and Jackson, until Jackson dismissed him for maintaining a belief that “the Indian was, in his intellectual and moral structure, our equal.” The hand-colored prints are almost entirely portraits painted from life after Charles Bird Kig, who painted Native American delegates coming to Washington D.C. as commissioned by government’s Bureau of Indian Affairs. Rice & Hart published the first royal octavo edition in 1848–1850, and the firm, after the subsequent addition of Rutter, continued to produce lavish Royal octavo editions, some very slightly redacted, to satiate the demand of wealthier American customers in the economic boom following the Mexican War and the the California Gold Rush.
This particular edition of 1868 appears to be among the rarest of all the Royal Octavo editions with WorldCat citing only 1 Institutional copy (OCLC 85518)
