In the Heart of the Sierras: The Yo Semite Valley, both Historical and Descriptive and Scenes by the Way…

4to, original decorative cloth, gilt lettering, illustrated with 29 photo -typo plates by Britton & Rey, including frontispiece of The Yo-Semite Valley, wood engravings, and three maps (one folding), [4]. xii, 13-496 pp. Hinges cracked, abrasion to upper spine, ends and corners bumped and showing, light soiling, minor white spot to lower front cover, occasional faint foxing and aging, 2' edge tear to folding map, tiny black ink sots to author's portrait verso, gift inscription from 1887; otherwise very good. Second issue with photo-typo by Britton & Rey, showing a woman seated behind the horse and cabin with lean-to; portrait of Hutchings is engraved in wood, and over 150 illustrations in total. Hutchings was a pioneer of the tourist industry in Yosemite, and one of the first to visit there in the winter. According to Farquhar, In the heart of the Sierras was Hutchings' crown publishing achievement and "...contains a great deal more...than the account of Hutchings personal experiences; it covers more fully than any other work of the its day every aspect of Yosemite Valley and the Big Trees that could be considered of general interest to visitors." Cowan p.299. Currey & Krusta 175. Farquhar 18b.