LETTERS AND NOTES ON THE MANNERS, CUSTOMS, AND CONDITION OF THE NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. Written During Eight Years' Travel Amongst the Wildest Tribes of Indians in North America. In 1832, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, and 39.

First edition, first printing (with uncorrected error "Frederick" for "Zedekiah" on page 104). Two volumes. Large 8vo. Contemporary embossed cloth with morocco title labels lettered in gilt. Illustrated with an engraved frontispiece to volume one, three maps (one folding), and 310 engravings (complete, somewhat erratically numbered from 3 to 312, with some numbers redundant; the title page erroneously states "400 illustrations", the present copy corresponds to that in Howes' bibliography of the book, although with the addition of plates 113 and 114). A very good copy, the bindings square and firm with fading to the spines and a little bumping and wear to the cloth at the extremities. The contents with a small paper repair to the verso of the frontispiece and occasional light marks and pale spotting in places are otherwise clean throughout and free from any previous owners' inscriptions or stamps. The plates are largely fresh and bright, and the folding map remains extremely well preserved.

An excellent example of the first edition of one of the most important works on Native Americans to be published during the nineteenth century. A pioneering documentation of the lives of the native peoples of North America, Catlin's work was acutely observed and superbly illustrated after his own original paintings. The hundreds of engravings present capture almost every element of Native American life, illustrating costumes, ceremonies, dances, hunting methods, forms of warfare, and daily activities, as well as presenting portraits of particular individuals, including chiefs and shaman. The maps are particularly significant for documenting the locations of the different Native American tribes. [Howes C241; Wagner-Camp 84].