Travels into North America; containing Its Natural History, and A circumstantial Account of its Plantations and Agriculture in general, with the civil, ecclesiastical and commercial state of the country, The manners of the inhabitants, and several curious and important remarks on various Subjects. Enriched with a Map, several Cuts for the Illustration of Natural History, and some additional Notes

Kalm, Peter; ed. and trans. John Reinold Forster

Edité par William Eyres & T. Lowndes, Warrington & London, 1770

A propos de cet article

First edition in English, first issue. Warrington: Printed by William Eyres, 1770 (vol. I); London: Printed for the Editor and sold by T. Lowndes, 1771 (voll. II-III). Three volumes. Octavo (7 13/16" x 4 13/16", 199mm x 122mm). [Full collation available.] With six engraved folding plates and a folding engraved map. Bound in contemporary speckled calf (re-backed) with a double gilt fillet. On the spine, five raised bands. Title gilt to red morocco in the second panel. Author and number gilt to black morocco in the fourth panel. Imprint gilt to the tail. Olive green end-papers. All edges of the text-block speckled red. Re-backed. Fore-corners worn, restored on vol. I. Boards on voll. II & III patched toward the spine. Evenly tanned throughout. Vol. III map laid in. Pehr or Peter Kalm (1716-1779) is, perhaps unfairly, considered subordinate; he is an important apostle of Linnæus, and a contributor to John Bartram's 1751 Observations (the first scientific description of Niagara Falls). Yet in his own right he is an important naturalist and explorer. Like Bartram, he saw no limits to his exploration: plants and people, topography and weather held equal interest. He even ranks as an important anthropologist: his account of the Swedish community in Raccoon (now Swedesboro, PA) is among the best and most reliable accounts of early Swedish-American living. Kalm was sent at the behest of Linnæus under the auspices of the Royal Swedish Academy of Science (better known now as the bestowers of the Nobel Prize) in order to find North American plants that would do well in Sweden. Nearly every reference to Kalm's account notes its reliability, which does rather set it apart from its coevals. John Reinold (Johann Reinhold) Forster was himself a naturalist of renown, who taught at a dissenting academy in Warrington (now in Cheshire); this accounts for the imprint of the first volume; later states do not bear the Warrington imprint. Howes K-5, Lande 482, Sabin 36989, Stafleu-Cowan 3493, Streeter sale II:823.

N° de réf. du vendeur 6JLR0102

Détails bibliographiques

• Titre: Travels into North America; containing Its Natural History, and A circumstantial Account of its Plantations and Agriculture in general, with the civil, ecclesiastical and commercial state of the country, The manners of the inhabitants, and several curious and important remarks on various Subjects. Enriched with a Map, several Cuts for the Illustration of Natural History, and some additional Notes
• Éditeur: William Eyres & T. Lowndes, Warrington & London
• Date de parution: 1770
• Reliure: Hardcover
• Édition: First.
• État de l'article: Very good
• Catalogues du vendeur:
  • Americana
  • Natural History