Author: KALM, PEHR:
Title: En resa til Norra America, på Kongl. Swenska Wetenskaps Academiens befallning, och publici kostnad, förrättad. Three volumes. Stockholm, Lars Salvius, 1753-1761.
Description: . Pp. (xxiv), 484, register (20); (ii), 526, register (22); (ii), 538, register (14). With woodcuts in the text and one folding view of Cohoes Falls. Contemporary half calf, spines ruled in gilt and with red title labels, rubbed. Volume three's spine ends expertly restored. Old ownership signatures on titles. Scarce first edition of this early Swedish valuable account on American natural history. Pehr Kalm (1716-79), Finnish - Swedish botanist and economist, was sent by Linné to North America between 1748-51 to study the flora and collect specimens of plants and seeds to bring back to Sweden. Unfortunately many of the seeds and plants died on the way home. His narrative comprises the stay in England, the Atlantic voyage, the visits to Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Oregon and also his travels within Canada (to Montreal, Quebec and Lorette). Streeter ii, 823: "One of the most important and reliable 18th century accounts of Amercian natural history, social organization, and political situation". A fourth part written in 1777 was never published. The manuscript and his diaries were kept at the Academy of Åbo but destroyed during a fire in 1927. (A ms copy of parts of the diaries were discovered and published in 1929). Howes K5 "b". Larsson 329. Sabin 36986, Schiötz Itineraria Norvegica 511a.

Keywords: Americas, america, americas, north america, amerika, americana, travel, exploration, natural history. linne, linneana


See more books from our catalog: Americas