CATLIN, George (1796-1872). Catlin's North American Indian Portfolio. London: Geo. Catlin, Egyptian Hall [1875].

The expanded edition of Catlin's work, the first to include the six additional unnumbered plates. 31 plates total. “Catlin’s North American Indian Portfolio is one of the most impressive books of Western Americana, ranking behind only the Bodmer atlas to Maximilian’s travels and the Edward Curtis portfolios in major illustrated works on the West. Catlin had originally hoped to create an even larger work, with four portfolios and a total of one hundred plates, but his financial mismanagement doomed the project and only one portfolio was issued” (Best of the West). That portfolio had 25 plates and was issued in the fall of 1844; soon afterwards, Catlin soon sold the copyright to London publisher, Henry Bohn. “[Bohn] kept the book in print, with several reissues, through the late 1860s, when he sold the copyright, along with the rest of his publishing empire, to the firm of Chatto & Windus. The new publishers discovered that Catlin had prepared six more lithographic stones which had never been used. These were made in 1844, when Catlin had projected more portfolios, but had sat with the printer ever since” (ibid.).The six new plates are captioned: “Joc-O-Sot, the Walking Bear;” “Mah-To-Toh-Pah, the Mandan Chief;” “O-Jib-Be-Ways;” “Buffaloe Hunting;” “The War Dance;” and “The Scalp Dance.” Bennett 22; Best of the West 81; Field 258; Howes C-243; Wagner-Camp 105a:2.

Folio (566 x 420mm). Printed title, 31 hand-colored lithographic plates after Catlin, printed by Day and Haghe, heightened with gum arabic (title with lower margin extended and repaired tear at top, a few plates with repairs at gutter or corners, a little thumbsoiling at margins). Modern red half morocco gilt over marbled boards.

A previous version of this description stated that the plates were printed on card; they are printed on thick paper.