Tertiary History of the Grand Canon with Atlas to Accompany the Monograph on the Tertiary History of the Grand Canon District (two volume set)

Washington: [United States Government Printing Office] Julius Bien & Co. Lith. New York, 1882. First edition. Hardcover. Very Good +. Monograph. xiv; 264pp. Quarto [30 cm] Original brown cloth boards with blind ruled borders on the boards. Title in gilt on the spine. Atlas. Twenty-three sheets including title-page and table of contents (sheet 1), 12 color maps, 10 color views. Folio [51 cm] In original brown cloth with gilt stamped title on front board. Bookplate of Geologists Henry and Carol Faul on the front pastedown. Both volumes in better than very good to near fine condition.

Monograph: Lightly rubbed along the edges of the boards; chipped at the spine ends; 3/4" split in cloth along rear joint; library label on the front pastedown and several discreet library markings on the preliminary pages, including an embossed stamp on the title page; pages with the normal tanning from age, but essentially pristine; tissue guard of plate 26 just a bit torn; binding solid. 42 plates (Roman numerals misprinted on plates 14 and 21).

Atlas: Spine professionally and skillfully restored. Short tape repair to foot of front free endpaper. Like the monograph volume, this volume is in remarkable condition internally. This atlas contains the three stunning panoramas, 'From Point Sublime in the Kaibab', by William H. Holmes. These three panoramas offer a 270 degree view of the Grand Canyon. This atlas also contains Thomas Moran's exquisite work, 'The Transept, Kaibab Division, Grand Cañon An Amphitheater of the Second Order.' These four plates have made this work one of the most sought after Western Americana titles, and are usually missing from this monumental work.

In 1875, Clarence Edward Dutton (1841-1912) joined the United States Geological Survey. He is known for his extensive explorations of the Rocky Mountain region. His greatest accomplishment is his Tertiary History of the Grand Canon District of 1882. It is still considered the preeminent work on the Grand Canyon to date. The atlas is beautifully illustrated with maps and views engraved by Julius Bien. Sheet XVIII of the atlas, titled "The Transept, Kaibab Division, Grand Canyon" is based on the monumental painting of the same title by artist Thomas Moran (1837-1926). Moran, more than any other artist, is most closely associated with images of the Grand Canyon. The field artist for the Dutton geological exploration was William Henry Holmes (1846-1933). Holmes was most noted for his sense of realism and accurate draftsmanship. Holmes contributed many finely executed panoramic views of the Grand Canyon to the Atlas that are quite stunning. He exhibited at the National Academy of Design, The Art Institute of Chicago and The Brooklyn Art Club among others. Holmes later held positions as Curator at the University of Chicago (1898-1906) and was a former Director of the National Academy of Design (1920-1932). Farquhar states: "One of the greatest, if not the very greatest of all Grand Canyon books...The atlas, containing the superb panoramic views by William H. Holmes and a drawing by Thomas Moran, is a rich portfolio of art as well as a collection of maps and an exposition of geology." Farquhar 73. Spamer, p. 53.