SOLD
200.00USDto C*****r+ buyer's premium (50.00)
This item SOLD at 2023 Aug 25 @ 08:20UTC-7 : PDT/MST
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Mountains and Molehills; or, Recollections of a Burnt Journal: with Illustrations by the Author: MARRYAT, Frank [Samuel Francis]. London: Longman, Brown, Green and Longmans, 1855. x, [2], 443 [1, blank] pp., engraved illustrated title, 8 tinted lithographic plates drawn on stone by Messrs. Hanhart from artwork by Marryat, 18 engraved text illustrations. 8vo, original publisher's embossed red cloth (neatly rebacked, most of original gilt-lettered spine preserved, wanting lower quarter and small piece at headcap, original endpapers retained). Spine slightly darkened, moderate shelf wear, corners bumped with some board exposed, front hinge cracked with title page detached and next leaf weak, paper somewhat brittle (occasional light chipping at blank edges), plates very fine and bright. Bookplate removed from front pastedown (remains of adhesive). Blindstamp of Maryland Historical Society on title page and a few text leaves. Printed binder's ticket on rear pastedown (Westley's & Co. London). Increasingly difficult to find in original cloth. First edition. Cf. Adams, Herd 1445 (citing the New York edition, 1855). Braislin 1281. Cowan I, pp. 150-51: "An entertaining work, and greatly superior to the New York edition of the same year. The colored lithographs...depicting California life and scenes, are the most attractive prints of that period." Cowan II, p. 416. Graff 2685. Gudde, California Gold Camps, p. 410. Hamilton, Early American Book Illustrators and Wood Engravers 1823 & vol. 2, pp. 113-14 (citing the New York 1855 edition, assigning the present English edition priority, comparing the iconography in both editions, and concluding that the inferior full-page engravings in the U.S. edition were recut and reduced in size and that the text illustrations in the U.S. edition were also redone). Holliday 756. Howell, California 50:619: "One of the best descriptions of life at the mines in the 1850s and of San Francisco and the Ranchos." Howes M299. Huntington Library, Zamorano 80...Exhibition of Famous and Notorious California Classics 52. Kurutz, The California Gold Rush 429a. Norris 2422. Peters, California on Stone, pp. 161-62. Plath 719. Streeter Sale 2788 (noting that the book is "one of the twelve important books on the Gold Rush picked out by J. Gregg Layne and listed in the Book Club of California Quarterly News Letter, Autumn 1948"). Van Nostrand, The First Hundred Years of Painting in California, pp. 32-33: "Marryat's vivid watercolors and his book, Mountains and Molehills, constitute an important contribution to the art and literature of the Gold Rush." Van Nostrand & Coulter, California Pictorial, pp. 148-49: "Marryat used his inheritance to outfit himself for a hunting trip to California, accompanied by a servant and three bloodhounds. He arrived in California in the late fall of '49." Wheat, Books of the California Gold Rush 137. Zamorano 80 #52. See also Samuels, Encyclopedia of Artists of the American West, pp. 304. The inspired colored plates after artwork by English artist and author Marryat are justly celebrated. The plates are: "Where the Gold Comes From" (frontispiece); "High and Dry" (op. p. 37, a view of a street scene on the waterfront as it appeared in 1849, including a lithography and printing establishment and an old, beached ship used as a storehouse, illustrated in Tyler, Prints of the West, p. 121); "Chagres River" (op. p. 92); "Winter of 1849" (op. p. 162, depicting the muddy streets of San Francisco); "Bar Room of Sonora" (op. p. 224); "Horse Auction" (op. p. 274); "San FranciscoÛA Fireman's Funeral" (op. p. 344); "Crossing the Isthmus" (op. p. 406). One of the most technically accomplished lithographic firms of Victorian England, M. & N. Hanhart of London, transformed Marryat's original artwork to lithographic plates that are bold yet delicate. Founded by Michael Hanhart, the firm had a long and successful history, published its first prints in 1840, and continued to produce work beyond 1888. Hanhart published everything from book illustrations to lithographic sheet music covers to large individual prints, and excelled in complex layering of tint stones unique for their coloration and tonal values. Includes ranching (Spanish grants, vaqueros, saddles, California horses, horse-breaking, etc.). Gary F. Kurutz's notes (Volkmann Zamorano 80 #52): are worth repeating: British writer, artist, and sailor Frank Marryat must be credited with writing one of the most entertaining, fast-moving, humorous, and colorful descriptions of Gold Rush California. Mountains and Molehills is one of the real showpieces of California literature. His powers of description are utterly entrancing and can only be matched by Bayard Taylor and John D. Borthwick. Unlike reporter Taylor, he was not an observer but a full participant in this cauldron of chaos. Brilliantly written and illustrated, his book, along with a handful of others, forever shaped the perception of the greatest gold rush in world history. Marryat, the son of popular novelist Frederick Marryat, began his narrative in April 1850, as he approached Chagres on the eastern side of the Isthmus of Panama. On June 14, 1850, he arrived in San Francisco to see the city recovering from one of its great fires. Despite this setback, he found the place in a "feverish state of excitement," and encountered that most famous of all Gold Rush institutions, the gambling saloon. "On entering one of these saloons," Marryat wrote, "the eye is dazzled almost by the brilliancy of chandeliers and mirrors. The roof, rich with giltwork, is supported by pillars of glass; and the walls are hung with French paintings of great merit, but of which female nudity form alone the subject. The centers of the tables are covered with gold ounces and rich specimens from the diggings." Such magnetic descriptions no doubt shocked Victorian sensibilities and lured young men by the thousands. Marryat did come to California to find riches, and in the summer and fall of 1851 engaged in backbreaking quartz mining near Tuttletown, Tuolumne County. During his California adventure, Marryat jotted down incredible and vivid descriptions of saloons, fires, claim jumpers, bears, fleas, mining techniques, mining camps, Chinese and French miners, theaters, ranchos, and se“oritas. In short, every conceivable subject of interest seemed to touch his ever-alert mind. Even with a few economic setbacks, he experienced more in a few short months than most of his contemporaries did in a lifetime. Having seen and done enough, the Britisher left California in the spring of 1852 promising to return. Taking a steamer, he headed to New York via the Isthmus. After getting married, the Marryats headed to California but, while making the Panama crossing, the new bridegroom contracted yellow or "Chagres" fever, a condition that severely compromised his health. He stayed long enough in San Francisco to see the city completely transformed. Marryat returned to England to prepare his book for publication. Demonstrating his good-natured ability to bounce back, he wrote in his preface that his journal and drawings had been destroyed in one of San Francisco's many fires, resulting in his tongue-in-check subtitle. Possessed of a remarkable memory, he recreated his journal and sketches. Early in 1855, the book was published in London and New York and a positive review appeared in Harper's Magazine for June 1855, accurately calling it a "fresh, racy, good-humored book." Sadly, before the talented writer could receive the proper acclaim due him, he died on August 12, 1855, not yet thirty. In addition to being a writer of uncommon skill, Marryat was an artist with an abundance of talent. The subject matter he encountered readily inspired his creative instincts and provided memorable illustrative material. When the English edition was published, it featured eight exquisite colored lithographs based on his drawings. These plates not only graphically show the hardships everyone faced, but also reveal the Englishman's wry sense of humor. His "High and Dry," "Winter of 1849," and "Bar Room of Sonora" rank among the most memorable and oft-reproduced views of the Gold Rush. The lithographs are supplemented by eighteen black-and-white wood engravings that provide a truly wonderful caricature of life in California. The American edition, published in New York by Harper & Brothers, lacks the colored lithographs and instead came with the same number of illustrations, all reproduced as wood engravings. London. 1855.. x,[2],443pp. plus 24pp. of ads and eight full- page color lithographic plates. Numerous illustrations in text. Original cloth, stamped in blind, spine stamped in (faded) gilt. Cloth quite sunned, especially at spine. Repaired at spine ends, inner hinges strengthened. Two bookplates on front pastedown. Very clean and bright internally, and so in overall very good condition. An excellent picture of life at the California diggings, big game hunting in the Rocky Mountains, and life in the pioneer West. Reliable observations are also included on early political and legal affairs in California, such as the Vigilance Committee and other attempts to impose order on the rambunctious populace. "...One of the best descriptions in print of life at the mines and of conditions at San Francisco and the ranchos in the 1850"s..." - Streeter. This London edition is vastly superior to the American edition of the same year, which lacks the extraordinary color plates, variously lauded as "being amongst the finest of early Californian subjects" (ZAMORANO 80) and "of great beauty and importance" (Wheat). Though there is material pertinent to outlaws, this work is not noted in Adams" SIX- GUNS. STREETER SALE 2788. HILL 1089 (note). COWAN, p.416. HOWES M299, "aa." GRAFF 2685. SABIN 44695. ADAMS HERD 1445. WHEAT GOLD RUSH 137. ZAMORANO 80, 52. KURUTZ 429a. London. 1855. DS 16-108 2-13-06 P-1060. A Gold Rush classic! California 1855
Auction Location:
3555 Airway Drive Suite 309, Reno, Nevada, 89511, United States
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Nevada State Sales Tax
Taxes:
| Tax | Rate | Desc. |
| NSST |
8.375% |
Nevada Sales Tax |
| CSST |
7.25% |
California Sales Tax |
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
25% |
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
SHIPPING & HANDLING: The customer is responsible for all shipping and packaging charges. We offer shipping service as a convenience to our buyers. Items are not shipped until the invoice and shipping charges are completely paid. Shipping costs will be calculated and billed separately after your items have been paid for. Purchases will be shipped via our approved, insured carriers: FedEx, UPS, USPS or DHL. Pick up is available from our Reno office, once you have received your invoice post auction, with 24 hours notice given to HWAC prior to pick-up.
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TERMS AND CONDITIONS
This is a Live Auction conducted by Holabird Western Americana Collections, LLC (HWAC).
1. The placing of a bid shall constitute the bidder’s acceptance of these terms of sale.
2. BUYER’S PREMIUM & INSURANCE: There will be a 25% Buyer’s Premium added to the sale price (hammer) of each lot. We accept cash, checks, money orders, wire transfers, credit cards and PayPal.
3. COINS, CURRENCY AND PRECIOUS METALS, Insurance. The buyer’s commission for this section is 20.5%. Coins and currency shall be defined as any regular Federal issue circulating coins and currency. Tokens are not considered coins. Precious metals shall be defined as ingots, silver or gold rounds, bullion items and gold nuggets. Mineral specimens are not considered under the precious metals category. Commemorative items such as metals and ribbons are not considered coins of precious metals. However, lots that consist entirely of gold or silver of high purity, including commemorative metals, are considered precious metals. Please contact our office if you need clarification on a specific lot.
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5. SHIPPING & HANDLING: The customer is responsible for all shipping and packaging charges. We offer shipping service as a convenience to our buyers. Items are not shipped until the invoice and shipping charges are completely paid. Shipping costs will be calculated and billed separately after your items have been paid for. Purchases will be shipped via our approved, insured carriers: FedEx, UPS, USPS or DHL. Pick up is available from our Reno office, once you have received your invoice post auction, with 24 hours notice given to HWAC prior to pick-up.
6. LIVE (FLOOR) BIDDING: Please arrive a few minutes early to check in and receive your bidding paddle. We will open lots with more than one bid at the current high absentee bid or 50% of the low estimate at the auctioneer’s discretion. Please be sure to bid on the correct lots during the live auction. Our auction progress is at a rate of between 60 and 150 lots per hour. An item is not sold until the next lot is announced. (We are not responsible for Internet bids that arrive late.) The auctioneer will identify the successful bidder by number and announce the winning bid amount. If you are not sure whether you won the lot or not, it is your responsibility to ask for clarification immediately, prior to the start of the next auction lot. Auctioneer reserves the right to reopen the lot in the case of an immediate dispute at the actual time of the sale.
7. TELEPHONE BIDDING: Telephone bidding MUST be scheduled prior to this auction. If you do not schedule in advance, and choose instead to call on the day of the auction to request a line for bidding, you may find that we are unable to accommodate your request. Please limit your telephone bids to items of value greater than $500, or to a string of items with a similar total.
8. LIVE AUCTION ABSENTEE BIDDING: Mail or FAX Absentee bids for the live auction MUST be received by 5pm Pacific Time the day before the auction. Bids accepted after the cutoff time will be represented live only if an agent is available and will not be considered absentee or given first priority as such. It is your responsibility to submit all lot numbers and bid amounts accurately. Absentee bids MUST be equal to at least 50% of the low estimate if an estimate is provided. Bids on “No Lots” or “Withdrawn” Lots will not be executed. Bids made in amounts that do not conform to the bid increment table under Item #13 will be automatically rounded up or down by the computer, or rounded to the nearest proper bid increment at the discretion of the auctioneer. Absentee bids are entered into a computer that will bid live on your behalf at the auction. Absentee bids will compete live against other absentee bids, live internet bidders, floor bidders and phone bidders.
9. INTERNET BIDDING: Both Absentee and Live Internet bidding are available through our live auction networks. If you wish to bid LIVE via the Internet, you MUST pre-register. A live feed is generally accessible during the auction. Online bidding remains open through the live auction, and online absentee bids may be placed anytime. Live bidding will open when the auction starts. Internet bidding is offered as a convenience for those who cannot attend the live sale. Please note that there may be delays or interruptions in Internet connectivity that are beyond our control. Attending the live auction or arranging for an agent is the most reliable way to secure your bids.
10. NEW BIDDERS: Bidders unknown to us, who anticipate an expenditure in excess of $20,000, must provide commercial references or a deposit of 25% of the amount to be bid in order for the auction staff to execute bids. Deposits will be credited towards lots won and any balance will be refunded within 10 business days after the auction has concluded. New bidders will be given a spending limit at their initial request to participate. In order to increase this limit, you may be required to provide a letter of authorization from your bank in addition to providing references. Please contact our office at any time if you have questions regarding spending limits or references required to bid.
11. AGENT BIDDING: There are numerous professional agents available to assist you should you require this service. Please contact the office for a list or to arrange for representation on the floor during the live auction. HWAC is not responsible for any acts or omissions by agents acting on behalf of bidders at our auctions.
BE ADVISED: Auction participation through the live Internet bidding site is not 100% foolproof. The technology for this process is always changing, and the operation of it and the corresponding Internet connectivity issues are far beyond our control. Some folks have attempted to use the live Internet bidding process as their primary method of bidding, and have been quite successful. Others have failed completely. Depending upon your computer, server, host, and other factors, Internet signals may be delayed, such that bids may not be received in time. We cannot be held responsible for these delays, or for the lack of placed bids in a timely manner, or any other factors leading to unaccepted bids that are far beyond our control. Bidders should always have a backup plan for lots they highly desire. Live participation is best, followed by phone participation. We will not reopen lots for missed bids.
12. RESERVES: Most of the lots in this auction are unreserved. Precious metals may be reserved at or near or slightly below spot, at the auctioneer's discretion.
13. BIDDING INCREMENTS: All bids must be submitted in U.S. dollars and in whole dollar amounts only in the appropriate increments as outlined below. If you choose to submit bids in an increment not listed below, your bid will be rounded to the nearest increment and you will be expected to pay the amount to which the bid was rounded should your bid be the winning bid. If you have any questions about an appropriate bid amount, please call us.
14. BID REDUCTION: All winning absentee bids will be reduced, if necessary, to the next bidding increment up from the last competing bid, as long as the minimum bid requirement has been met. For example, if you submit an absentee bid of $1000 and the next highest competing bid is $250, then you will win the lot for $275.
15. BID INFORMATION: Collectors often ask in advance the price level of a particular lot. We will give out the current competitive high absentee bid until we close the day before the live auction. You may also view absentee bids online at www.holabirdamericana.com. While we try to update the absentee bids as often as necessary, bids received close to the bidding deadline might not be reflected online, and we disclaim any responsibility for any bids made in reliance upon inaccuracies on our website, which may be beyond our control. We do not own any of the live Internet bidding platforms, and thus many aspects of the Internet technology are out of our control.
16. BID CANCELLATION: If you wish to cancel or change a bid after you have submitted your bids to us due to an error, you MUST PHONE us to advise us of this. Bid cancellations through mail, email, or faxes are not advisable. Errors are easy to make. Please call us if you have any questions on this.
17. All stock certificates, checks, warrants, and other financial documents sold herein are sold as antiquities, and have no financial, securities, or public trading value whatsoever.
18. We reserve the right to reject any bid we feel is not made in good faith.
19. INVOICING: Invoices are mailed or emailed within two business days after the close of all portions of the sale. Within 15 calendar days of receipt of invoice, payment is due in full to Holabird Western Americana Collections, 3555 Airway Dr., #308, Reno, NV 89511. Late fees may be added if payment arrangements are not made within those 15 days. Sales tax will be added to all sales picked-up after the auction or shipped to Nevada addresses, according to Nevada State law, unless a resale certificate is provided.
20. PAYMENT: We accept Cash, Visa, Master Card, American Express, Discover, Money Order/Cashier’s Check, Wire Transfer, Personal Check or PayPal. All returned checks are subject to a $25 fee. Cash received in amounts greater than $10,000 is subject to the filing of IRS form 8300, as required by law.
21. Automatic Credit Card Billing: Internet bidders are subject to the payment terms and conditions outlined on the internet bidding platform they utilize, which may include the automatic payment of auction invoices with the credit card information on file at the time of registration.
22. NON-PAYMENT: HWAC reserves the right to cancel any invoice not paid in full within 15 days. A cancelled invoice does not relieve the bidder from their obligation to pay seller fees and buyer’s premiums compensating HWAC for its services in conducting the auction. Interest shall run on all outstanding balances at the highest rate permitted by law. HWAC shall have a lien against the merchandise purchased by the bidder, and any other of bidder’s property then held by HWAC or its affiliates, to secure payment of the invoice, and with respect thereto HWAC shall have all the rights of a secured creditor under the Nevada Commercial Code, including but not limited to the right of sale. HWAC may sell the lot(s) securing the invoice to any under bidders in the auction that the lot(s) appeared, or at subsequent private or public sale, or relist the lot(s) in a future auction conducted by HWAC. A defaulting bidder agrees to pay for the reasonable costs of resale (including a 10% seller’s commission, if consigned to an auction conducted by HWAC). The defaulting bidder is liable to pay any difference between his or her total original invoice for the lot(s), plus any applicable interest, and the net proceeds for the lot(s) if sold at private sale or the subsequent hammer price of the lot(s) less the 10% seller’s commissions, if sold at an HWAC auction. If HWAC refers any invoice to an attorney for collection, the bidder agrees to pay attorney’s fees, court costs, and other collection costs incurred by HWAC. Any bidder who fails to follow the terms of payment will be reported to iCollector, Live Auctioneers, Invaluable, or applicable bidding platform, and may be barred from participating in future Holabird Western Americana auctions.
23. CONDITION: We strongly recommend that you attend the live preview to see lots in their entirety. Conditions are not always noted, and large lots may not be itemized due to catalog restraints. For questions, detailed information, or additional images of any lot please contact our office at 775-851-1859. Bidders are responsible for understanding the condition of items. Conditions noted are subjective, and may differ person to person. High resolution images of all items are available online for inspection. HWAC is not responsible for condition discrepancies; it is the bidders responsibility to determine condition prior to bidding.
24. RETURN POLICY: All items are guaranteed to be authentic unless otherwise noted. If authenticity is challenged, please call our office for assistance. ALL SALES ARE FINAL. You may only return any piece that was significantly inaccurately described by calling our office within 10 days of receipt of item(s) and notifying us of the error and reason for return. We do not refund postage or insurance. Please call us if you require a more specific condition report. Any items that are returned must be returned in the exact, unaltered condition. When we receive your bids we will assume you have read the description in the catalog, viewed the image of the item, have contacted us regarding any questions you may have on any lot and/or have previewed the lot in person.
25. This sale is being held under the laws of the State of Nevada.
26. HWAC shall not be held responsible for any problem due to the bidder’s failure to follow the rules, terms and conditions of this sale, or any failure to bid due to the loss of the online auction process provided by any of the online auction networks; or missed bids, changed bids or cancelled due the bidder’s failure to follow the proper bidding procedure outlined herein.
27. By placing a bid or otherwise participating in the auction, Bidder accepts these Terms and Conditions, and specifically agrees to the dispute resolution provided herein.
28. HWAC shall not be responsible for consequential damages, incidental damages, compensatory damages, or any other damages arising or claimed to be arising from the auction on any lot. Bidder’s sole remedy for any proven act or omission shall be rescission of sale and refund of the amount paid by Bidder.
29. Any claim, dispute, or controversy in connection with, relating to and/or arising out of the Auction, participation in the Auction, award of lots, damages of claims to lots, descriptions, condition reports, provenance, estimates, return and warranty rights, any interpretation of these Terms and Conditions, any alleged verbal modification of these Terms and Conditions and/or any purported settlement shall be exclusively heard by, and the parties consent to exclusive in personal jurisdiction of, the Superior Court of Washoe County, Nevada. The parties expressly waive any right to trial by jury. Any claim must be brought within one (1) year of the auction from which the claim arose or the claim is waived. In every case, the prevailing party shall be entitled to an award of its attorney’s fees and costs.