Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution; Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812; Pictorial History of the Civil War in the United States of America.
Philadelphia: George W. Childs, 1860, 1869, 1866. First editions. Hardcover. An unusual set of the three separate historical works by Benson J. Lossing, uniformly bound in matching 3/4 morocco and marbled boards. The 6 volumes with many plates, maps and illustrations throughout, 'illustrated by many hundred engravings on wood, by Lossing and Barritt, from sketches by the author and others.'
Pictorial Field Book of the Revolution: published 1860, two volumes, 783 pp, 772 pp. Vol. 2 with an allegorical George Washington illustration (not listed); Pictorial Field Book of the War of 1812: published 1869, 1084 pp., color 'illuminated' frontispiece; Pictorial History of the Civil War in the United States of America: published 1866, three volumes, 608 pp, 640 pp, 640 pp. Vol. 1, 2 have 4 tipped in plates of Union Generals (not listed in illustrations) & some tissue guards with faint foxing.
Roy. 8vo, 3/4 brown morocco & marbled boards, marbled endpapers. Six spine compartments with gilt title on black title label, gilt rules within compartments. Text & the many plates, maps & illustrations almost uniformly clean & bright, top edge gilt. Bindings in good + condition, most somewhat rubbed at extremes. Vol. 3 of the Civil War has a chip in the top back hinge; outer hinges cracked at top & largely missing its label.
Benson John Lossing (1813-1891) was a charter trustee of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY from 1861 until his death. Lossing was a Dutchess County, NY native and became a prominent engraver, illustrator, and historian. He was a part owner and editor of the Poughkeepsie Telegraph, then moved to NYC where he became editor and illustrator for J.S. Rothchild's weekly Family Magazine. He authored over 40 books. Item #21999
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