The Wonders of the Yosemite Valley, of California; [John P. Soule, photography credit] [Revised and Enlarged]

Boston: Alexander Moore, Lee and Shepard, 1872. Third Edition, 1st Printing. Very Good Plus. John P Soule. 8vo. [10.75x7.25in]; xii, 13-98 pp., frontispiece original albumen photograph of The Yosemite Valley, nine additional albumen mounted photographs, 2 maps, 3 illustrations in text, index and list of images; Original mulberry cloth on beveled boards with black and gilt stamped lettering on front and spine, stamped gilt and black design on front and in blind on back cover, all edges gilt, pale yellow end papers, all pages with red rule border, all plates with tissue guard; Minor shelf wear to edges, corners and covers, some fading to front cover, spine sunned, all gilt lettering still bright, minimal age-toning and spots to text, inscription on front free end paper dated Dec. 25th, 1873. A very nice and complete copy. [Currey & Kruska 225, Farquhar 10a, Kimes 5-8]. Samuel Kneeland (1821-1888) was a surgeon in the Union Army until 1866 and was the Secretary of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology at its founding in 1865 to 1878 and a professor of Zoology and Physiology from 1869 to 1878. He traveled for collecting specimens and wrote several travel books in addition to this one on Yosemite. The California Sierra Nevada mountains and Yosemite was promoted by articles and guide books by James Mason Hutchings starting in the 1850's. Yosemite was designated by President Lincoln as the first national park in 1864. Other travel authors, explorers and naturalists followed to publish guide books of Yosemite.

This book is the first of several editions that were attractive and provided reliable information about the Yosemite Valley and California. The is a narrative of Kneeland's first railroad trip from Boston to Yosemite. Additional trips added and updated information and included information from John Muir and others about the valley. The photographs, credited to John P. Soule (1828-1904), a photographer and Boston publisher that never visited Yosemite Valley, were likely purchased by him from a California photographer. From Currey & Kruska, this was a common transaction and these images are similar in style to Eadweard Muybridge for his images of the Yosemite. (Inventory #: 14316)