ASTORIA; or Anecdotes of an Enterprise Beyond the Rocky Mountains.

Philadelphia: Carey, Lea, and Blanchard, 1836. , [. Hardcover. Covers moderately soiled, spines somewhat faded, first volume with old dampstain to bottom gutter of most of the book though fairly faint between pp 50-200, moderate foxing througout. Still a presentable copy. 2 volumes, octavo, original slate blue textured cloth with gilt spine titles, [1]-6, [vii]-xii, [13]-285; viii, [9]-279, 8 (adverts) pp. Folding map frontispiece in vol. 2.

In 1834 Washington Irving (1783-1859) was commissioned by fur magnate John Jacob Astor (1763-1848) to write a book promoting the Pacific Northwest, where Astor's Pacific Fur Company enterprise was centered. Irving took on the job and using the accounts and reports of Thomas McKenney, Lewis & Clark, other sources, as well as reseach carried out by Irving's nephew Pierre Munro Irving produced his "Astoria" in 1836. The book was a very successful seller - some 25 editions in little more than 20 years - and a greatly influenced the settlement of the region. BAL first issue with copyright notice on title page verso; garbled footnote vol. 2 p. 239; first page of ads at end of vol. 2 without border. BAL notes that the map can be found in one volume or the other but does not make it an issue point. Howes says earliest issues have the map in the first volume and a signature mark (1) at bottom of p. 5, vol. 1. BAL does not mention the signature mark and it does not appear in this copy. BAL 10148; Graff 2158; Howes I81.