Beschreibung:

Narrative of a Voyage to California Ports in 1841-42...[with] Printer Thomas C. Russell comments on Nash, DeVinne, Cowan et al. in a Letter to M.J. Ferguson. State Librarian Author: Simpson, George; Thomas C. Russell Place Published: San Francisco; Berkeley Publisher: Thomas C. Russell; Tamalpais Press Date Published: 1930; 1970 Description: 2 volumes. Includes: Narrative of a Voyage to California Ports in 1841-42. Together with Voyages to Sitka, the Sandwich Islands & Okhotsk; To Which are Added Sketches of Journeys across America, Asia, & Europe: From the Narrative of a Voyage Round the World. xxxii, 232 pp. Illustrated with 2 portraits of the author with tissue-guards; facsimiles of the title pages of the first edition and part of a holograph report (double-page) by Simpson; folding facsimile map. (8vo) 25.5x16 cm (10x6¼"), original cloth-backed boards, paper spine label, original hard paper jacket with paper spine label. No.55 of 250 copies. Printer Thomas C. Russell comments on Nash, DeVinne, Cowan et al. in a Letter to M.J. Ferguson. State Librarian. [1], 4 loose leaves in printed paper folder. Introduction by Kenneth M. Johnson. One of 100 copies printed by Roger Levenson for presentation by Kenneth M. Johnson and the printer to the joint Roxburghe-Zamorano Meeting held in Los Angeles in September, 1970. Narrative of a Voyage to California Ports in 1841-42 signed by Thomas C. Russell at limitation, as issued. Inscribed by Russell to Milton J. Ferguson, dated New Year's, 1931. Howes S495. Prospectus laid in. Includes a lengthy A.L.S. with original envelope from Russell to Ferguson laid in, discussing the publication of this book and others, and private printing in general. Russell takes another dig at fellow printers, describing Davis' Sixty Years in California, as published by Howell and printed by the Lakeside Press, as a "typographical monstrosity". Milton J. Ferguson served as California State Librarian from 1917-1930. At the time the holograph letter was sent, Ferguson had taken the post of Chief Librarian at the Brooklyn Public Library. Enhancing the lot is the 1970 printing of another Russell missive to M.J. Ferguson ladling out further invective against his contemporaries Nash, DeVinne and Cowan. The printed letter was produced at Tamalpias Press after Kenneth M. Johnson had discovered the original ALS in a copy of Russell's Voyage of the Sonora in the Second Bucareli Expedition. Condition: Jacket's front panel separated at top fold, some sunning, wear and tear; small closed tear to cloth at head of spine, a few minuscule bumps to corners; about near fine in good jacket. Item#: 352552a Headline: Milton J. Ferguson's copy with ALS from Russell