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BUCKINGHAM, J. S.
America, Historical, Statistic, and Descriptive.
[together with;] Canada, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick [and] The Slave States of America [and] The Eastern and Western States of America.
First editions, the Slave States being the first of two issues, of "Mr. Buckingham's great work on America" (Rich). Buckingham spent his early years as a sailor in the Atlantic and Mediterranean and travelling the Middle East. He settled in India, establishing the Calcutta Journal in 1818, but being expelled in 1823 for his forthright criticisms of the Company. Back in England he published accounts of his expeditions, and stood for parliament, representing Sheffield from 1832-7. "After retiring from parliament, in October 1837 Buckingham undertook an extensive tour through North America, lasting nearly four years… Buckingham was a voluminous writer. He published numerous books on his foreign travels, which are especially notable for the information they provide about social conditions in the many countries he visited…He was probably best known, however, as a lecturer, undertaking speaking tours in both Britain and North America" (ODNB). Sabin is somewhat curmudgeonly about the series, noting this "collection of sketches and extracts … is hastily, often ungrammatically expressed" and only "tolerably impartial." However, he is forced to concede that it contains "a fund of statistical and general information on the rise, progress, manners, &c. of the people", which is where its value lies.
9 volumes, octavo (212 × 130 mm). 19th-century tan calf, spines gilt in compartments, red and brown labels, Northern Light Board stamp to head of spine and ruling to boards gilt, marbled endpapers and edges. 7 frontispieces, 23 plates, 1 folding map laid down on linen, vignettes to the text. Boards lightly rubbed, small area of damage to head of spine of Eastern America volume II, occasional light ghosting from plates, some ink spots on a few pages of eastern America volume I. very handsome set indeed.
