Pictorial of California

San Francisco: Joseph Winterburn & Co, 1870. VISCHER, Edward. . Pictorial of California. Landscape, Trees and Forest Scene. Grand Features of California Scenery, Life, Traffic and Customs. San Francisco: Joseph Winterburn & Co., 1870.

First edition of the Plate volume, without the accompanying text volume (except for 3 leaves inserted). Possibly a preliminary issue. With a total of 125 photographs on 101 plates after drawings by Vischer and others. Photographs are from original pencil drawings, and some are reproductions of photographs. With the Title-page and "Pamphlet" Printed in red. 4pp "Preface" printed in purple, and "Concluding Remarks" (inserted after Preface) pp [129]-131 from volume II printed in purple. The section title for "Landscapes" is printed in red, and the 3pp "Section Contents" are printed in purple. The map guide/general table of contents is printed in red. Large quarto (13 7/16 x 12 inches; 343 x 305 mm).

The first mounted photo is a map of California, followed by " Sixty Views of California" with sixty numbered plates. Following this are 26 of the plates entitled "Trees and Forest Scenes," all of which are unnumbered. Following these are the 14 unnumbered plates entitled "Supplement. Grand Features and Characteristic Ranges of California Scenery." All 14 called for in the general table of contents are present. Without any of the additional plates from the section entitled "Life, Traffic and Customs."

Newer half green morocco over publisher's green cloth boards. Front board lettered and ruled in gilt. Spine stamped and lettered in gilt. All edges gilt. Marbled endpapers. Some scuffing to boards. Occasional finger smudging and soiling to margins, but photographs are all clean. Previous owner's inscription on title-page. Overall a very nice copy.

This work was rarely issued with the same number of photographs. Howes calls for copies to have between 100-120 mounted plates and Cowen notes that "Few copies contain precisely the same number of plates."

"Vischer's superb drawings constitute an important historical record of early California. They were executed between 1858 and 1867 and cover a wide range of subjects. After his initial attempts at lithography failed, Vischer had his drawings photographed, reproduced, and mounted in albums published with varying numbers of plates. There was a supplementary volume on California missions published two years later. The Pictorial was sold by subscription. Farquhar notes that after the initial twenty copies were made up for the original subscribers, Vischer announced subsequent copies would be issued in four different formats, of which the first (100 plates, bound in half morocco, $50) most closely conforms to the present copy." (John Howell).

"Vischer, a native of Bavaria, first visited California in 1842, and returned to live in San Francisco in 1847. He traveled extensively throughout the area and made sketches wherever he went. The present volume collects those sketches along with maps of the area, and actual photographs. Subjects include: missions, cattle ranches, scenes in the Sierra Nevadas, mining scenes, landmarks such as Yosemite Valley, Mammoth Tree Grove, Mt. Tamalpais, Lake Tahoe, Donner Lake, &c." (Bonhams).

Farquhar 5c. Howes V131. Streeter.

HBS 69523.

$10,000.