1858 – OUR SUMMER RETREATS – A HAND BOOK
To all the Chief Waterfalls, Spring, Mountain and Sea side Resorts and other Places of Interest in the
United States
Published by T. Nelson and Sons, New York. 64 pages measuring about 5 3/4 inches by 3 3/4 inches – softcover with wear as shown. Sabin Americana, 1500–1926 number 57940. Hardcover edition calls for 12 plates. I have in my personal summer resort collection the hardcover edition with 4 plates only. For comparison I have illustrated my copy below.
Oddly, the back of the softcover edition lists the views (plates), BUT there is no evidence of plates ever having been in this edition. I wonder if this is a prospectus, or inexpensive copy without plates to promote the sale of the hardcover with plates. The binding has been repaired with glue externally, again with no evidence of anything having been removed. For some reason the bottom 60% of the title page has been cut out of this copy – but I have included an image of the title page from my copy.
The index to places described includes: Alburg Springs; Cape May; Catskill Mountains; Genesee Falls; Highgate Springs; Lake George and Lake Champlain; Missiquoi Bay; Niagara Falls (in much extended detail); Nahant; Newport; Saratoga Springs; Trenton Falls; Virginia Springs &c; and, the White Mountains.
This is an uncommon title, and if found is valued at $500 plus. Below is the cut title page of this copy
and, two sample two page spreads
FOR COMPARISON ONLY – here is my personal hardcover edition – if you really need this copy, we can discuss (I cannot keep everything).
and the full title page – most likely a frontispiece missing since a tissue guard remains.
and a few of the illustrations in my personal copy
rayboasbookseller.com 