![GOLD RUSH – WADSWORTH, W[illiam]. “Overland to California.” In: The El Dorado News. Placerville, El Dorado Co., Calif.: 26 February 1853. Vol.2, No.32.](https://www.christies.com/img/LotImages/2017/NYR/2017_NYR_14376_0282_000(gold_rush_wadsworth_william_overland_to_california_in_the_el_dorado_ne030900).jpg?w=1)
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GOLD RUSH – WADSWORTH, W[illiam]. “Overland to California.” In: The El Dorado News. Placerville, El Dorado Co., Calif.: 26 February 1853. Vol.2, No.32.
A very rare, previously unrecorded, and unusually graphic Gold Rush “Steamer Edition,” with an illustrated precursor to William Wadsworth’s guide to California covering the front page. Wadsworth’s Guide is itself known in only 4 copies and considered by Thomas Streeter to be “the most satisfactory of the overland guides … [Wadsworth] knew how to write” (Streeter 3185). Of the present overland narrative we locate no bibliographic record at all. It covers the route from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento and takes up the entire oversize front page and most of a column on the back page. Further, it is illustrated by five views: “View of Fort Laramie,” “View of the Sage Plains,” “View of Independence Rock,” “View of the Sierra Nevada Mountains,” and “View of the Golden Gate.” Wadsworth made the journey himself in 1852 and this is published in early 1853 but his book, The National Wagon Road Guide … to California, was not published until 1858 and included information based on other routes as well. Any issue of The El Dorado News is quite rare. This particular one bills itself as a “Special Steamer Edition for Circulation in the Atlantic States.” See Kurutz 656; Streeter 3185 and Wagner-Camp 313, but this title not mentioned.
Four pages, folio (574 x 415mm). Illustrated with 5 wood-engraved views. (Some foxing, wear at folds including a small hole not affecting Wadsworth’s narrative.)
A very rare, previously unrecorded, and unusually graphic Gold Rush “Steamer Edition,” with an illustrated precursor to William Wadsworth’s guide to California covering the front page. Wadsworth’s Guide is itself known in only 4 copies and considered by Thomas Streeter to be “the most satisfactory of the overland guides … [Wadsworth] knew how to write” (Streeter 3185). Of the present overland narrative we locate no bibliographic record at all. It covers the route from St. Joseph, Missouri to Sacramento and takes up the entire oversize front page and most of a column on the back page. Further, it is illustrated by five views: “View of Fort Laramie,” “View of the Sage Plains,” “View of Independence Rock,” “View of the Sierra Nevada Mountains,” and “View of the Golden Gate.” Wadsworth made the journey himself in 1852 and this is published in early 1853 but his book, The National Wagon Road Guide … to California, was not published until 1858 and included information based on other routes as well. Any issue of The El Dorado News is quite rare. This particular one bills itself as a “Special Steamer Edition for Circulation in the Atlantic States.” See Kurutz 656; Streeter 3185 and Wagner-Camp 313, but this title not mentioned.
Four pages, folio (574 x 415mm). Illustrated with 5 wood-engraved views. (Some foxing, wear at folds including a small hole not affecting Wadsworth’s narrative.)