Catlin's North American Indian Portfolio Expanded

CATLIN, GEORGE Catlin's North American Indian Portfolio. Hunting Scenes and Amusements of the Rocky Mountains and Prairies of America. From Drawings and Notes of the Author, made during Eight Years' Travel amongst Forty-Eight of the Wildest and Most Remote Tribes of Savages in North America. London: Geo. Catlin/Egyptian Hall [but Chatto & Windus], 1875. Later half brown morocco over cloth boards, matching lettering label in gilt to upper cover, spine stamped and lettered in gilt, all edges gilt. 23 x 16 inches; with letterpress title, list of plates and 31 finely hand-colored lithographed plates after Catin drawn on stone by McGahey and printed by Day & Haghe. THE SIEBERT COPY OF THE EXPANDED EDITION, ADDING SIX PLATES. Guidance: Siebert, 1999 - $123,500.
"These beautiful scenes in indian life are probably the most truthful ever presented to the public" (Field). Catlin's eight years of field research and painting of forty-eight tribes produced this immensely rich record of native americans. "The history and customs of such a people, preserved by pictorial illustrations, are themes worthy the lifetime of one man, and nothing short of the loss of my life shall prevent me from visiting their country and becoming their historian". In seeking subscriptions for the North American Indian Portfolio, Catlin envisioned the work in four parts comprising one hundred plates. Beyond the first part which contained the hunting scenes and amusements, the subsequent parts were to present portraits, religious ceremonies, and warfare scenes. When work began on the portfolio a total of 31 lithographic stones were prepared but only 25 were included in the first issue of the book and the plans for subsequent parts were apparently scrapped. Catlin, facing financial difficulty, sold the copyrights to the book to the enterprising publisher Bohn, who published each of the various London editions of the book from 1845 until 1872 when he sold his copyrights and several sets of the Portfolio to the publishers Chatto & Windus who in turn reissued the work adding the six plates originally lithographed in 1845. These plates, featuring numerous figures, add much to the work and are titled "The War Dance," "The Scalp Dance," "Buffaloe Hunting," "Mah-to-Toh-Pa," "Joc-O-Sot," and "Ojibbeways." The Chatto & Windus issue of the work is noted for its darker backgrounds which bring forth the action of the scenes depicted. Reese, The Production of Catlin's North American Indian Portfolio, 1844-1876, unpublished paper; Howes C-243; Sabin 11532; Wagner-Camp 105a:3; Siebert II; lot 846.