David Spilman Fine Books

Awaiting the Return of Mr. Tinkham [Reports of Explorations and Surveys ... from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean]; Volume XII Narrative and Final Report of Explorations for a Route for a Pacific Railroad near the Forty-Seventh and Forty-Ninth Parallels ... From St. Paul to Puget Sound by Isaac I. Stevens, Governor of Washington Territory, 1855 [36th Congress, 1st Session, House, Ex. Doc., 56, Serial 1054-55]

Stevens, Isaac I. (John Mix Stanley, Illustrator) [Pacific Railroad Surveys]

Washington DC: Thomas H. Ford, Printer, 1860. Very Good. First Edition. [8.25x11in] One litho tinted illustrated plate, Part I, plate XXXII; Some age-toning along edges with several light spots in margin and print. [Samuels p.460, Taft p. 1]. Item #14426

This plate is from from Volume XII of the quarto edition of twelve volumes were published from 1855 to 1861 as exploration and survey reports became available. These volumes contained not only the survey maps and elevations, but a monumental collection of scientific reports on geography, geology, zoology, botany, and ethnology of the Native American tribes. The surveys also included 11 artists to record the landscape and indigenous peoples of the west. The twelve volumes were disorganized in publication with no overall all arrangement or indexing. Some of the plates and maps referred to in volumes were published in other volumes, various reports were also published out of sequence relating to the four routes. Preliminary reports published were updated in latter volumes. (From Wagner-Becker-Camp) In 1853, Senator Gwin of California lead the inclusion of Congressional funding for 1853-54 of a series of surveys to determine the best and most economical railroad routes from the Mississippi River to the Pacific coast. The act directed the Secretary of War, Jefferson Davis to plan and direct Army topographical engineers to conduct surveys of four routes. The first was between the 47th and 49th parallels generally along the Lewis and Clark route to the Pacific. The Second route between the 37th and 39th parallels was promoted by Senator Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri. The Third route was along the 35th parallel. The Fourth route was promoted by Secretary Davis along the 32nd parallel that followed Emory’s 1846-47 reconnaissance.

The illustration, "Awaiting the Return of Mr. Tinkham" was done to support part of the report narrative by Stevens (starting on p. 127 of the report). Mr. Tinkham was one of several civilian members of the survey that fanned out along the general route to identify better terrain for a railroad line. They were generally accompanied by Native American guides the knew the terrain. Mr. Tinkham proceed without a guide and became disoriented for a number of days before finding his way back to the camp.

John Mix Stanley (1814-1872) was an artist-explorer, American painter of landscapes, and of Native American portraits and tribal life. In 1842, he traveled to the West to paint Native Americans and spend the next ten years painting and exhibiting in eastern cities and the Smithsonian. During the Mexican War in 1846, he was a draftsman for the Corps of Engineers assigned to Colonel Kearney's expedition to California and Oregon Territory. He produced maps and illustrations for the Army. After the war, he spent time in Hawaii painting the Royal family, native life, and landscapes. In 1853, Stanley was appointed the chief artist to Isaac Stevens survey expedition for a Pacific railroad route from St. Paul to Puget Sound (the Northern Survey). During the survey, he produced the stunning 70 illustrations and fold out panoramas in the Stevens report. When he returned to Washington in 1854, he produced an exhibition of his paintings and large panoramas of western scenes from the Northern survey. (from Wiki and Samuels, in part).

Price: $45.00