The Story of Louisiana, Volume I [Author's Corrected Copy] with Publisher's Prospectus for a Three-Volume History

Baton Rouge, Louisiana: J.F. Hyer Publishing Co., 1960. Book. Very Good. Hardcover. 4to - over 9¾ - 12" tall. Dark blue pebbled cloth, faded gilt to the spine. Light spotting to the top edge. The Pictorial Portfolio section at the back of the book is showing slight separation from the binding. This was the author's copy, which he corrected with notes, marginalia, and type-written sheets, including three (and one handwritten) paper-clipped to the last page of the book. [iii] iv-xi [2] 3-394 pp. Edwin Adams Davis (1904-1994) was a long-time professor of history at Louisiana State University, an author, and head of the Louisiana State University Department of Archives. PART ONE: An Introduction to Louisiana History; PART TWO: French Colonial Louisiana; PART THREE: Spanish Colonial Louisiana; PART FOUR: Early Years of the American Regime; FART (sic, missed by author) FIVE: Ante Bellum Louisiana; PART SIX: Civil War and Military Occupation; PART SEVEN: Reconstruction and Slow Progress, 1877-1920; and PART EIGHT: Modern Louisiana. An unpaginated section of illustrations, Pictorial Portfolio of the Story of Louisiana, concludes the book. This volume was also published by Claitor's Publishing Division in 1961 as Louisiana: A Narrative History. Some of the images, if not all, from the J.F. Hyer imprint are found throughout the text instead of in a concluding section. OCLC confirms this original edition was published in three and four volumes from 1960 to 1963, Volume I being the history while Biographical Sketches comprised the remaining volumes. The Claitor's reissue is a single volume with no mention of additional volumes. The prospectus for the original three-volume set is blue, card stock covers with plastic comb binding. Some edge wear and an ink smudge on the front cover. The publisher's letterhead (J.F. Hyer), with handwritten notation, is paper-clipped to the first page. PROSPECTUS CONTENTS: Introduction (Dr. Edwin A. Davis), Concerning the Author, Publishers' Announcement, Tentative Outline of Contents, and Illustrations (historical photographs and images typical of those which will be used to illustrate this history). The Concerning the Author section includes a biographical sketch of the author, with full-page photo, in which it is stated that he is "presently preparing a junior high school history of Louisiana, a project which will be completed in 1957." That dates this publication to pre-1957. The Publisher's Announcement states "The Story of Louisiana is to embodied in three royal octavo volumes, printed on fine book paper, durably and attractively bound. The edition will be limited and delivery will be made within a reasonable amount of period, dependent upon the time required for assembling the material. Patronage will be based upon this prospectus and orders will not be subject to cancellation, as the publication of the work is predicated on the support thus assured." While OCLC locates more than a few dozen copies of the 1960 printing in university libraries, they report no copies of the 1950s prospectus for the three-volume set. Neither book nor prospectus is found online for sale as of the date of this listing (February 2022). Offered together here as a very scarce combination of Louisiana history and bibliographical scholarship with the author's corrections and notes..