Beauties of California. Copyright 1883, by N. W. Griswold. Including big trees, Yosemite Valley, geysers, Lake Tahoe, Donner Lake, S. F. '49 & '83., etc. San Francisco: H. S. Crocker & Co., Printers, Lithographers and Publishers, 1883. 23x15 cm (octavo), pp. [1-54], 28 colored plates on 14 leaves, color lithographed wrappers, covers one and four have big tree scenes, covers two and three are imprinted with advertisements for the Kalliodont Manufacturing Company, side stapled, all edges stained red. First edition. Intended as a local advertising vehicle and tourist souvenir. Two issues noted: (1) [California merchant's issue]: No cover title. Front cover imprinted on small gold nugget background: "Compliments of [local firm name and address.]" (2) Eastern edition. Cover title reads: "Beauties of California." Printed on boulder in foreground of illustration: "Eastern edition price 50¢ copyright 1883. By N. W. Griswold." This copy is one of the California merchant's issues but has the white boulder instead of a gold nugget with the imprint "South Pac. Coast R. R. Co." on the boulder. The text of the 1883 edition is composed of advertisements for California businesses and descriptions of the state's scenic attractions, including Yosemite Valley and the big trees of the Mariposa and Calaveras groves. The color lithograph views, twelve of which depict scenes in the big tree groves and Yosemite Valley, are the primary interest. An expanded edition with no advertisements in the text was published in 1884. Currey and Kruska 133. Light wear to upper spine end and corner tips and spine ends, 33 mm chip from lower spine end, scattered foxing to front cover and a few leaves, check mark to one plate and two text leaves, a very good, much better-than-average copy. (#166007).
No statement of printing.