Important Portfolio of Native American Portraits

"[3 Volumes] History of the Indian Tribes of North America, with Biographical Sketches and Anecdotes of the Principal Chiefs...", McKenney and Hall

This is the second octavo edition of McKenney and Hall's incredible work on the Native Americans, published in 3 volumes with 120 hand-colored plates of Natives. Thomas McKenney & James Hall's portfolio of Indian portraits documents an important part of American History. Thomas McKenney, head of the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs for many years, was a champion of the Native Americans and fought throughout his tenure to preserve their culture. His legacy was commissioning artists such as James Otto Lewis and Charles Bird King to paint many of the native leaders when they visited Washington. After he left government office, he produced lithographs of these paintings for this publication. These lithographs are the only visual record left of these great Native Americans, as the paintings were destroyed by fire in 1865 while being held at the Smithsonian Castle.

History of the Indian Tribes of North America was first published in a folio edition in 1836, and was so popular that octavo editions were issued beginning in 1848. This octavo example includes 119 of the 120 original plates, missing the plate of Catahecassa at the end of Volume I, which appears to have been an omission during the binding process rather than removed at a later date, based on the foxing pattern on the surrounding pages where the plate was supposed to have been inserted. Each plate is protected by a tissue guard and is accompanied by several pages of text with a brief biographical sketch of that Native American. Also included in Volume I is a colored dedication lithograph to Washington. Published by Rice & Hart in Philadelphia.

3 Volumes; Royal Octavo. Collated: iv, 333 pp.; xvii, 9-290 pp.; iv, 17-392 pp. Includes 120 (of 121) hand-colored plates. Hardbound in contemporary embossed leather covers, new leather spines with gilt titling, and new pastedowns and endpapers. Professionally restored by Big River Bindery.

References: Howes #M-129; Sabin #43411.

Condition: B+

The plates are mostly clean and bright with full contemporary hand color and occasional light foxing. The tissue guards have light to heavy foxing, and the text has light to moderate foxing and toning. Volume II has a small piece of cello tape on verso of the title page. Volume III has professional repairs to some chips and tears at the bottom of the title page and table of contents. There is a previous owner's bookplate on the front free-endpaper of each volume and the title page of each volume is stamped "Public Library New London, Conn." The covers are scuffed and a bit stained with bumped corners. The new spines are in excellent condition.