California – G. A. Fleming – 1850 | Gold Rush, Mormon Reports, 7 Color Plates

“California: Its Past History, Its Present Position, Its Future Prospects” by G. A. Fleming follows the shifting political and economic landscape of California during the Gold Rush. This work covers the early Spanish period, the annexation by the United States, and the explosion of interest that followed gold discoveries.

Fleming includes commentary on migration routes, urban growth, and regional resources. A section outlines the Mormon settlements established during this period. Government documents reprinted in the appendix describe land use, mineral findings, agricultural capacity, and administrative plans. Includes seven hand-colored plates.

Bibliographic Details

• Title: California: Its Past History, Its Present Position, Its Future Prospects: Containing a History of the Country from Its Colonization by the Spanish to the Present Time …
• Author(s): G. A. Fleming
• Illustrator(s): uncredited
• Publisher: London, Printed for the Proprietors
• Edition: First edition. 1850.
• Format: Octavo (8vo), single volume
• Binding: Leather spine, cloth-covered boards
• Size:  8.5 x 5.5 in (21.5 x 14 cm)
• Collation: viii, 270
• Illustrations: 7 hand-colored full-page engravings
  • The book exists in a number of variants – Wheat, Sabin and Graff all mention differing numbers of plates, making it likely that first editions were printed with inconsistent number of plates.
• Contents Include:
  • Spanish and early American history of California
  • Emigration routes and direction
  • Mining locations, techniques for mining gold
  • Reports on Native American policies and legal frameworks
  • Observations on Mormon colonies and their development
• Provenance: Bookplate: Percy Denny, Esq.
• Reference(s): Graff 1347; Cowan p 93; Howes F 178; Sabin 9973; Wheat 4
  • Wheat: “interesting compendium of California material, with important colored plates”
  • Howes: “One of the fullest and most interesting of contemporary accounts”

Condition:

Good condition. Leather spine and marbled boards show wear along edges and corners and across the covers. Hinges remain secure. Spine title remains intact and legible. 7 hand-colored plates are present. Interior is complete with tight text block and stable signatures. Scattered foxing and overall page browning present.

Why Collect This?

• Found in all major California and American west bibliographies

• Early documentation of California’s political shift and gold field regions

• Seven original hand-colored plates

• Includes narrative on Mormon westward movements

Item Number: # 28819