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Karl Baedeker. The United States with an Excursion into Mexico: Handbook for Travellers. Leipzig: Karl Baedeker; New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1893. First Edition. Octavo (6¼ × 4¼ in.; 16 × 11 cm)
The first Baedeker guide devoted exclusively to the United States, issued in 1893 and regarded as one of the landmark nineteenth-century travel guides to America. Prepared by J. F. Muirhead under the editorship of Karl Baedeker, the handbook provides detailed descriptions of the country’s principal cities, railways, hotels, museums, natural wonders, and an excursion into Mexico. Illustrated with 17 maps and 22 plans, including numerous large folding color maps and city plans such as New York, Philadelphia, San Francisco, Albany, and a large folding General Map of the United States. Baedeker guides are celebrated for their exceptional cartography and remain highly sought after by collectors of travel, Americana, and historical maps.
A solid, complete example in the publisher’s original red cloth with gilt lettering. The folding maps and plans are present and appear remarkably fresh, clean, and only few closed end creasing tears on the map of the United States. General wear to the binding with rubbing, spine fading, and light fraying to the extremities. Text block sound with attractive marbled page edges. Early ownership stamp of K. P. Harrington on the front free endpaper, accompanied by an old water stain largely confined to that leaf; the remainder of the text is notably clean. A very respectable, complete copy of an increasingly scarce and desirable first edition, prized especially for its intact suite of folding maps.
