Beschreibung:

TEXAS] KENNEDY, WILLIAM. Texas: The Rise, Progress, and Prospects of the Republic of Texas. London: R. Hastings, 1841. First edition. Two volumes, original green cloth, the covers decorated in blind with central Lone Star motif, the spines gilt lettered. 8 3/4 x 5 1/4 inches (22.2 x 14 cm); lii, 378; vi, 548 pp., with two folding maps (one partially hand-colored) and two full page maps. Explorers Club bookplates to pastedowns and blindstamps to titles, the map at front and elsewhere, the hinge of the first volume split with the text block detaching from spine, a small rectangle in the upper corner of the front endpapers neatly excised, the frontis map detached and with two short tears, splits to folds, and the left panels detached, ink numerals to contents leaves, some minor wear to spine tips, lightly rubbed, the joints of volume 2 starting. A complete first edition set of William Kennedy's early work on the Republic of Texas containing a wealth of information which greatly encouraged English and European settlement. Volume I includes John Arrowsmith's rare map, which according to Jenkins was "included in only a portion of the copies of the original edition, as only a small percentage of surviving copies contain it." The influence of the book was far reaching and Kennedy shortly thereafter served as Texan Consul in London and returned to Texas as British Consul at Galveston. Streeter 1385; Jenkins Basic Texas Books 117; Graff 2308; Sabin 37440; Eberstadt Texas, 162; Howes K92. C The Explorers Club Collection