STATE OF NEW YORK : REPORT ON THE TOPOGRAPHICAL SURVEY OF THE ADIRONDACK WILDERNESS OF NEW YORK, FOR THE YEAR 1873 (SECOND REPORT); Transmitted to the Legislature, April 21, 1874.
Albany, New York: Weed, Parsons and Company (Printers), 1874. Hardcover. Quarto, 9.25 in. x 6.25 in., pp. 306. Illustrated with ten black and white plates on cardstock, one fold-out sketch (15 in. x 34 in.) of "The Heart of the Adirondack," and nine maps and drawings (one map in full color and three maps in red and black ink), eight of which fold-out. Green cloth over boards with embossed and debossed graphic in blind to front board; gilt lettering to spine. Corners rubbed, and shelfwear & fraying to top and bottom of spine, and one tiny nick in cloth towards bottom of spine. Errata quarter-sheets at pp. 56 and 306. First signature detached. Light tideline to bottom corner of plates. Unmarked interior.
The maps and illustrations cover equipment, mountains, etc. (rocket signal, method of mountain measurements, Mud Lake, Ampersand Mtn., automatic signal, Oven Lake, St. Lawrence Co. Line, Station Crownpoint Light House, Bald Peak, Mount Hurricane, Panoramic Survey report, Mount Marcy, Locations of the Great Land Patents, Sketch Course Survey Party 1873, Blue Mtn., Altitude by Barometer & Telescope Level, etc.)
Fold-out drawing is detached from the binding and has professional repairs to a couple seams. "Preliminary Reconnaisance Sketch Map" (19 in. x 22 in.) has 10 in. closed tear along seam. Several short closed tears and tape repairs to seams of maps. Maps vary from Good Plus to Very Good Plus condition.
Laid in: Five page article from Professional Surveyor Magazine (May/June 1991) regarding the methods and accomplishments of this 1873 survey.
Also laid in: pictorial postcard featuring a "Signal Tower on Top of Cobble" in the Adirondack Mountains published by the Hugh C. Leighton Co. of Portland ME (which existed from 1906-09) and printed in Frankfort, Germany. Personal name hand-written on postcard.
Also laid in; Photocopied chapter from Jane Ellen Keller's "Adirondack Wilderness" (1980, Syracuse Univ. Press) regarding Colvin's love of the Adirondack wilderness. Good. Item #88712
The book offers a detailed account on the science and processes of performing such a survey. Extensive appendices including an 81-page appendix entitled "Condensed Data and Results of Calculation in Hypsometry", and another on the manufacturing of iron from Titanium Iron.
Only one copy on WorldCat.
Price: $550.00