“THE GRANDFATHER OF CIVIL WAR HISTORIES”: ILLUSTRATED WITH OVER A THOUSAND BRADY PHOTOGRAPHS

MILLER, Francis Trevelyan, editor. The Photographic History of the Civil War. New York: Review of Reviews, 1911-12. Ten volumes. Quarto, original blue cloth gilt, patterned endpapers, top edges gilt. $3000.

Early mixed edition set of Miller’s famous and important 10-volume photographic history of the Civil War, containing “thousands of scenes photographed 1861-65, with text by many special authorities.”

"This mammoth work… a necessary part of any civil war library," contains contributions from over 39 eminent individuals, including academicians, President William H. Taft, and veteran officers of both Confederate and Union forces, many of whom wrote from personal experience. A number of the photographs, previously unpublished, are from the collections of private individuals, including the extensive Eldridge Collection of Mathew Brady Civil War photographs, "easily five times larger than that of any contemporary" (Everitt). "Zealous in their work, often regardless of danger, and at all times handicapped by the vexing difficulties of the photographic process of that day," Brady and his assistants "carried their cameras to every scene that promised an interesting picture," capturing "scenes of actual conflict, others of places devastated by gunfire, of troops on the march or in bivouac, and of individual officers and men" (DAB). All volumes are first edition except the sixth and the tenth, which are both from 1912. Index is third issue, with "[3d Ed.]" appearing at the foot of the index pages. Eicher 771. Nicholson, 516.

Interiors fine, light wear and soiling to original cloth, gilt bright, a few inner hinges expertly reinforced. A near-fine copy.