Source : Anderson Galleries 1604
| Source Title | The West, Its History and Romance (Part I of Dr. Frank P. O'Brien's Library) |
| Description | The West, Its History and Romance (Part I of Dr. Frank P. O'Brien's Library) Rare, Curious and Important Books, Pamphlets, Broadsides and Maps Relating to the Western States from the Ohio to the Pacific including the Original Manuscripts of Sutter's Fort 1846-1847. |
| Scope of Text | "This collection is, of course, distinguished by its possession of the greatest historical discovery that has been made for more than a generation. But, even omitting the Fort Sutter Papers from consideration, the material here embraced is unusually noteworthy for its rarity and for its value and intrinsic importance as a record of national development. Several things have contributed to the present keen appreciation and demand for chronicles relating to the Early West and Far West. One of those elements lies in the fact that more human adventure and hardship were mingled with the western movement in America, than with a similar period in the growth of any other nation. Another reason is the realization of the relationship borne by those migrations to the present condition of the world. Still a third reason is to be found in the fact that the Middle West and Far West of to-day are filled with libraries, universities, historical societies and other institutions, to which such narratives are a necessity in order that they may possess the early records of their own neighborhoods and regions; and a fourth cause of the competition is the fact that such books, pamphlets, maps, and other productions were almost invariably printed in small editions, despite their unusual and permanent interest. As a result of all these causes the material dealing with the Pioneer West has almost disappeared, and in the very near future is certain to appreciate greatly in value. Opportunities such as are afforded by the dispersal of this collection are, in consequence, recognized as events of importance. No necessity exists for comment on the Fort Sutter Papers, the discovery and existence of which are of vastly wider consequence than as an item in a sale of rare historical material. Aside from those documents, the collection is rich in valuable and unusual titles, many of which here appear for the first time in the records. From the foreword to the auction catalogue |
| Total Records in AED | 622 |
