Our Summer Retreats. A Hand Book to All the Chief Waterfalls, Springs, Mountain and Sea side Resorts, and other Places of Interest in the United States, with Views Taken from Sketches by Washington Friend, Esq., and from Photographs.

New York: T. Nelson and Sons, 131 Nassau Street, 1858. Washington FRIEND. Cloth. 12mo; 64pp; red cloth over board, blind stamped borders and design, gilt-stamped floral wreath surrounding title; ownership to front pastedown; 12 Nelson plates on thick stock with tissue guards; light wear to boards, scattered foxing; custom slipcase with ribbon pull; very good plus in near fine case. Very good / near fine. Item #1245

An interesting collection of illustrations printed by the Nelson method, developed by the publisher, Thomas Nelson and Sons, in his London and Edinburgh firm as a less expensive form of color printing. Easily identifiable, the Nelson print is a two-color process, pale blue and fawn, sometimes with a purplish added feature, printed as a lithograph from two wood blocks. Gascoigne 30. Frequently used in souvenir viewbooks and found mostly in their published works from the 1850s and ‘60s.
The book is a wonderful tour of American vacation areas popular among those fortunate enough to travel and “summer” during the mid-19th century. Arranged into two sections, the first dealing with the most popular spots to up and down the east coast, listing by town and area. The second section is a listing of lesser known and traveled areas, including as far inland as Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi on the Gulf of Mexico, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. The book discusses where and how to travel based on time available and interests.

Price: $500.00