Exploration of the Colorado River of the West and its Tributaries. Explored in 1869, 1870, 1871, and 1872 Under the Direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution -- 1875 FIRST EDITION with MAPS Powell, John Wesley J. W. Hunting Botany Animals Nature,fine illustration plates, engravings, lithographs, photos,western amer

1875 FIRST PRINTING of First Edition. Early full calf binding with red title patch lettered in gilt on spine. NOT EX-LIBRARY. NO marks or writing on any pages (but private bookplate on front pastedown -- see below). Clean pages. Very little foxing (nearly all pages have no foxing), 2cm tear in bottom margin of page 284. The early leather covers are significantly rubbed mainly along the outside edge area of the front cover, rubbed spine ends and corners, cracked open outside hinges (not loose) but covers still securely attached by the original strong binder's thread and are not fragile (book can be read and handled regularly without covers falling off -- one would need to pull quite vigorously on the covers to make them come loose), front inside hinge neatly repaired with japanese tissue, no other restorations to binding or any pages, plates or maps. From the collection of explorer mountaineer and 10th Mountain Division veteran, Bill Hackett, with his distinctive bookplate on the front pastdown. The two folding maps in the rear pocket are original and in nice condition: the profile map has some foxing, no tears and no splits, some browning at folds; the larger topographical map has a little foxing, browning at folds, pin-hole splits (very very small) at the fold intersections, no tears. Generally a collectible condition example with all pages, plates, and maps but in an early binding likely dating to around time of publication that is quite worn but completely functional and adequate for preserving the contents which are clean, free of ownership marks or writing, only mildly tanned pages, complete. The book measures 298mm tall x 240mm and has 291 pages, b/w frontispiece engraving + 79 other engravings (most are one-to-a-page, but some plates have two images), two large folded maps in rear sleeve. About the previous owner: Major William Hackett, a WWII combat veteran of the 10th Mountain Division, was the first person to climb 5 of the Seven Summits, the first to climb both Denali (Mt McKinley, highest point in N. America) and Mt Logan (highest point in Canada), the first to climb the N Peak of Logan, a summiting member of Bradford Washburn's expedition that made the first ascent of the popular West Buttress route on Denali, leader of the 1960 USA K2 (Pakistan/China Karakoram Range, 2nd highest mountain on earth) expedition, the first American to climb Mt. Aconcagua (highest point in South America), and the first American to climb Mt Kenya (highest point in Africa). He had an extensive library of mountaineering and exploration books. PHOTOS ARE OF THE ACTUAL BOOK BEING OFFERED.